Of love and mistakes
by Silver vanilla
Summary: “I will lessen my brother’s punishment bit by bit. I will, however, do it every time I sleep with you." Itachi corners Naruto and forces him in a relationship neither of them was ready for. How far will he let that 'game' go? ItaNaru. Slight AU.
1. Chapter 1

Yo! So I came back home today :P I had a blast on my vacation! Especially the moments when I was sunbathing on the beach with a cold drink, listening to the music and writing the requested one-shots, while stealing quick glances at the tanned, half naked hotties that were parading everywhere! xD Melts the brain, literally ;D

So anyway, this is my new project. It's the story based on my fav doujin of all times (and it's not a Naruto one!) I always wanted to write it! Although the main plot is based on this doujin, the rest is mended and bended for my own purposes :P

I was planning to write it at some point, but then salvor-chan asked me to write a lemon one-shot :P Hehe... about that... I'll let you on a small secret at the end of this chapter :P

And well, since then I couldn't properly focus on re-writing the fic I was supposed to :P So, to get rid of the distraction I decided to simply write it down :P It won't be a long story, I promise :P

Let's say it's a half-request from salvor-chan ;D

--

**So, there are few things you need to know before reading, since this is slightly AU:**

1) Itachi never killed his clan.

2) Tsunade was never Godaime.

3) Sandaime was never killed by Orochimaru. He died a natural death, though.

4) There is no Akatsuki in this fic, although I may put some of the characters in :P

5) Naruto is 16 in this fic, so that makes Itachi what? 21 years old if I remember correctly :P

6) Finally... Itachi is... well, telling you would kinda spoil the fun now, would it? xD

--

So, that's it. For those who don't know, english is not my first language so forgive for every mistake you see ;)

"abc" - speaking

_ abc _- thinking

_"abc"_ - flashback

--

Without further ado, please enjoy it as much as you can! ;)

* * *

If looked closely, one could see three silhouettes walking slowly in the snowy storm. The tallest of them was carrying extra luggage on his back in the form of another teenager.

"Whoa it sure is coming down pretty hard." The blonde by the name of Uzumaki Naruto muttered, carrying both his and his ex-sensei's backpacks.

"I'm dead tired." Sakura said stiffing a yawn. "And there's still a job in the hospital waiting for me."

"Ah, I just want to go home and snuggle under the blanket with a cup of ramen." Naruto said hugging himself tighter to keep what was left of his body heat inside.

"Hold your horses, you two." Kakashi interrupted, looking at them sideway. "First thing we must do is to see the Hokage."

Sakura beamed at that, with a light pink gracing her cheeks. The blonde hoped that it was from the cold. His reaction, however, was voiced in a pained groan.

"Do we have to? I mean, it's not like you guys need me there, right? Sasuke-teme came back practically of his own free will, so everything will be fine, right?"

"Naruto, you should know how serious it is to leave the village without as much as a word of explanation. Plus _you _were the one who convinced him to go back, so obviously, your presence is necessary." The teen nodded with a bitter expression.

"I still don't want to go there, though." Uzumaki mumbled under his nose, but loud enough for his teammates to hear. Of course, the silver haired jounin-now-ANBU chuckled at his childishness.

"That's our duty as ANBU members to report directly to Hokage. Be glad you're not in the Team 1." The instant those words left Kakashi's mouth Naruto paled, almost matching the snow on the ground.

"Please stop that joke." The teen mumbled, feeling strangely nauseas all of a sudden.

--

"Thank you for your report." Hokage said, looking at the poor excuse of the ninja that was currently unconscious on the chair. Team 7 nodded and just as the blonde wanted to ask what will happen with his friend, the raven snapped his fingers. Few second later another two ANBU guards showed up.

"You called, Hokage-sama?"

"Take Uchiha Sasuke into the death row." Cerulean eyes widened at the order.

"But that's-"

"Naruto, stop it." Kakashi sharply cut him off.

"But-" The blonde wanted to say something, but no words left his mouth. Instead he looked at the man sitting in a chair before him as if asking 'what will happen?'

"Uchiha Sasuke will be interrogated and then judged as a traitor."

"Traitor?" Naruto asked not believing what he just heard. He knew what awaited traitors in this village. The death sentence. "B-but he came back willingly!" Charcoal eyes closed and opened slowly, before their owner directed his gaze at the teen.

"It is not an issue here. Uchiha Sasuke betrayed the village by leaving and trying to join sides with Orochimaru who poses a great threat to Konoha."

"He's your brother! Doesn't it mean anything to you?!" The blonde asked back; his fists clenched at his sides painfully. Hokage's gaze lingered on the form a little longer before it moved to the other people in the room.

"Could you please leave us alone? Hatake-san, Haruno-san?" I wish to speak with Naruto-kun privately." The duo nodded and with a light bow they disappeared in the poof of smoke.

Naruto didn't move a muscle; his sharp, angry eyes glaring draggers at the man he came to hate from the bottom of his heart.

Uchiha Itachi.

He couldn't deny that after the raven became the new leader of Konoha, a year ago, the village was at its best, prospering like never before. He was glad about that, really. As long as he wasn't force to be in the man's presence.

He and Sasuke were promoted to Jounins shortly before Sandaime nominated Itachi as his successor, therefore as the Fifth Hokage.

But his rival and at the same time best friend didn't like that fact one bit. Naruto knew exactly what kind of relationship Teme and his brother had. If one could call it a relationship, that is. The blonde had no idea how a sibling, _a family_, could treat someone like he was a complete stranger. This and the fact that Itachi was the one who pushed his best friend over the edge; saying 'you're weak' over and over again; were the main reasons for the teen's hate directed at the raven.

"Upholding procedures is very important in this world, Naruto-kun." Itachi's voice cut through the silence that lingered in the room. The blonde didn't answer, but his glare intensified. The man in white cloak chuckled lightly, quite amused by the reaction. Without a word he got up and walked to stand in front of the boy.

Naruto didn't move a muscle; though his cerulean eyes followed the man's every move, in the end forcing him to title his head slightly upward to keep their connection.

Before he knew what was happening, the raven grabbed his forearm and both of them disappeared in the same poof of smoke, only to reappear in the different room a second later.

"Where are we?" Naruto asked, slightly thrown out of balance by the man's pace.

_I've never been here before._

"My private chambers." Itachi answered unbuttoning his cloak and laying it on the arm chair.

"Why are we here?" Uzumaki asked with narrowed eyes.

"I prefer for our conversation to take place where no one would interfere." Naruto growled low in his throat when he watched as the man turned to him with that blank expression on his face.

"And? What is it that you want to talk about?" The teen forced the question out of his mouth, grimacing at the bitter aftertaste.

"How far are you willing to go to save Sasuke?" Itachi asked, looking straight at the blonde.

"What?" Naruto asked back, surprised by the sudden question.

"Konoha have many enemies. Outside and within the village walls." The raven said, turning his head sideway. This only deepened the boy's confusion.

"I'm protecting the people and my territory but it's still not enough." The black brows furrowed, as if the man speaking was troubled by his incompetence. "The world is full of people who think they can achieve anything with nothing but sheer power alone, Naruto-kun."

_And you're definitely one of them!_ The blonde thought angrily, but continue to listen nevertheless.

"I am concern what people would think if they found out what Sasuke was truly trying to do. An Uchiha who deserted the village to join its most hated enemy in favor of gaining more power, because he let his emotions control him?"

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, trying to conceal his mixed feelings of confusion and shock.

"There are but few who knows the true purpose of my brother's disappearance. To all those not involved it was said that Sasuke was sent on a long term mission." Cerulean eyes widened at that statement.

"But-" The blonde tried to say something, but Itachi cut him off.

"If the villagers found out about it what do you think would happen?" Itachi asked and turned to look at the boy, who growled quietly.

"But he's your family!" Naruto said, trying to suppress his twitching hand that was begging to grab a kunai or any other sharp object that could, _would _hurt the man in front of him.

"Maintaining my Clan's reputation comes before the small, useless ties you speak of."

"You bastard!" The teen hissed and quickly closed the distance between them, drawing his arm to punch some sense into the raven, but Uchiha catched his fist with ease.

"It is not that I do not wish to save my brother's life, as foolish as his decision was. However, stepping on that dangerous ground and going against all those who hold the right to decide without getting anything in return?" Itachi asked, gripping the tanned fist tighter and leaning too close for the teen's comfort. "Do you not believe I at least deserve something in return?" And before the blonde could answer, Uchiha completely closed the distance between them, placing his pale lips on the pink ones in a short, chaste kiss. Cerulean eyes widened, when he registered the situation and with his free arm he tried to punch the invader. Itachi, of course, saw it coming and moved out of the way with a chuckle and a light, almost invisible upward twitch at the end of his lips.

"What are you going at?" Naruto asked, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his uniform.

"I asked you a question." The raven replied, and being the one who didn't like to repeat himself he watched the display of emotions on the boy's face. When it settled on a determined one, he knew the blonde remembered it.

"I would do anything I can." Naruto finally answered and looked at Itachi with eyes that mirrored his decision.

"Even pay with your body for it?" Uchiha asked, taking a step forward, watching how those eyes that were so sharp a second ago, were now clouded with confusion.

"Y-you want me to c-cut my hand or leg in exchange for Sasuke's freedom?" The blonde muttered, blushing angrily. The raven stopped and cooked his head to the side with a raised eyebrow.

"You truly are just a child after all, Naruto-kun."

"I am not!" The teen shouted back.

_Well, I suppose he is an amateur in this department. The poor Hyuuga girl._ Itachi thought, brushing the bangs from his face and taking another two steps forward. Subconsciously, Uzumaki took two steps back, and just when he wanted to widen their distance, his foot touched the wall behind him.

"Or maybe it is that…" Uchiha started, closing back the gap and lightly touched the tanned cheek with his right hand, while the left one was securely placed on the wall next to the blonde's head.

"… you did get it, but tried to_ evade_ it?" The pale finger moved from the face and instead grabbed the teen's left wrist, raising the whole arm above Naruto's head. Cerulean eyes did nothing but glare.

"I am referring to this." Itachi said and kicked the boy's foot, knocking him off balance. The blonde shrieked in surprise, before the same man grabbed him by the waist and threw him on the nearest couch.

"Allow me to show you the price for facing such danger, Naruto-kun." Uchiha said hovering above the teen and pinning the tanned hand with his knee, preventing him from forming any seals.

"Let my hand go you bastard!" Naruto hissed, trying to wiggle himself from under the man.

"Why would I possibly do that in this kind of situation?" Itachi answered with a chuckle.

"Fine! I can still kick your ass!" The teen shouted, moving his legs in any direction he could, trying to connect his knees with the intruder.

"It is a way, but I suppose you wouldn't want the whole village to know about my brother's betrayal, would you?" The blonde ceased his movements as soon as those words reached him, staring with wide eyes at the raven, whose charcoal eyes bled into ruby red orbs, with three black tomoes.

"You wouldn-"

"Wouldn't I?" Uchiha chuckled darkly. "It is of no importance to me what will happen to my brother from this point on. However you, Naruto-kun, of all people should be aware how this village treats those who are different or_ tainted_ in the slightest. Despite that, are you still going to resist?" The blonde was silent for a moment, before his whole form slouched limply on the couch. Itachi couldn't help but smirk.

"Good. From now on you are no longer Konoha's shinobi but my faithful dog."

"That's a bad joke, _Hokage-sama_." Naruto said through his gritted teeth. He heard another dark chuckle.

"If it were a joke…" Uchiha murmured in the tanned neck. "… I wouldn't be able to do that." He finished just as the pale hands crawled down to the waistband of the teen's black pants. Naruto flinched and grabbed the intruding limb out of reflexes, before his eyes widened, upon landing on a particular object. Second later, much to Itachi's pleasure, the boy loosened the grip and allowed his hand to fall limply on the floor, while watching the picture standing next to them.

Without as much as a thought, the raven half hugged the smaller body with his right arm, while his left hand was slowly unzipping the black vest and undressing the boy from not needed at the moment garment. When his palm came in contact with a gray fishnet shirt, Itachi moved the boy in a slightly sitting position with one of his hands sneaking under the cloth to feel the soft and warm skin on the muscled back. Not wanting the repeat from before, the raven dipped down and licked Naruto's earlobe, while his other hand crawled south again, to unzip the last piece of cloth that was in his way. When this task was complete, he slid the pants off, deciding to focus more on what his mouths were doing. It was slightly irritating that Naruto hadn't made any sound, thus Uchiha, being the proud man he is, decided to force it out of the teen's throat himself. This, however, wasn't as easy as he thought at first, because when his pale lips slid downward, tracing small circles with his tongue along the neck, they suddenly came in contact with the boy's shirt. Growling quietly, Itachi grabbed it with his hand and mouth and tore the cloth in the front, revealing at the much needed skin he wanted to see, to _feel_. Not wasting any time, he leaned down and, moving the fabric out of the way with his chin, he sank his teeth in the tanned shoulder and suck on it hard, drawing out few drops of blood. But it was when Naruto groaned in pain, that he felt the twitch in his lower regions.

Since Itachi thought that foreplay was something meant only for lovers, he grabbed the boy by the hips and flipped him over on his stomach, pinning the blonde's head to the couch with his free arm. The other one was slowly, almost torturously massaging the teen's hardening member through the boxers. Getting too intimate would be just a hassle for the raven. With one last squeeze, the pale hand retreated to its owner pants, unzipping them and releasing the fully erected lenght with a sigh of relieve.

The boy under him tensed, when the hand from his head dissapeared and joined the other one in pulling down his underwear. When the boxers were at his knees, Naruto half registered that Itachi grabbed his hips and lifted his back in the air for a better access. The blonde was too focused on looking at the picture of his best friend who wore a playful scowl on his face. He didn't know why Itachi, _the sadistic bastard_, would have photography of his own brother put in a black thin frame, standing on a small coffee table next to the couch. He hadn't, however, had time to ponder on that because when something plunged itself without a warning into his tight entrance he could do nothing but scream out loud.

--

_Motherfucker!_ Naruto thought for god knows which time since he left the Hokage's chambers in a rush. He still couldn't believe what happened in there, but no matter how much he tried to deny it, he knew it wasn't just a nightmare or a genjutsu. The pain in his back reminded him of it all too well. And because of the said pain, he decided to go home. He hadn't really wanted to be alone at the moment, with nothing but the four walls of his bedroom as a companion, but since he pushed his body to its limits with his aimless walk through the village's streets until it was dark, he really hadn't had much of a choice at the moment. That and the fact, that he was supposed to train with Team 7 tomorrow morning.

Slowly, he walked up the staircase, supporting himself with the wall and cursing mentally at the fact that his apartment was on the top floor. But when he stepped on the said floor and turned to close the small distance between him and his door, his steps halted and his eyes widened in disbelieve.

"S-Sasuke?" Naruto breathed out, rubbing his eyes to make sure his mind wasn't playing a trick on him.

"Hn, Dobe." The young Uchiha answered, smirking slightly at his friend's reaction.

"W-what are you doing here?" The blonde asked, still not really believing what was happening. It changed when he spotted a half closed backpack on the raven's side, filled with clothes.

"Oh…" Naruto gasped, understanding the situation. Sasuke only nodded.

"Father threw me out of the house… and the Clan." The ex-Uchiha said, confirming the boy's suspicions. Without a word, Uzumaki slowly pulled the keys from his pocket and opened the door.

"Are you coming?" He asked, turning to his best friend with a smile on his face. Sasuke blinked surprised. He thought of asking his rival to let him stay at his place for a while, but he never actually expected it to go this smoothly. Naruto saw the sudden slip of the typical 'Uchiha mask' and arched an eyebrow.

"Look, you may be my rival, but I also think of you as my best friend. Even brother, really." As soon as he finished, the blonde smacked himself in the forehead, groaning.

"God, that was so sappy. Just get the hell inside." He murmured before limping his way to the living room. The movements didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke's sharp eyes.

Shrugging, the prodigy grabbed his backpack and walked inside, closing the door behind him.

"So, why are you here? I mean, I thought you were supposed to be in a prison or something." Naruto asked reaching for the zipper of his vest, before he flinched, remembering exactly how his shirt underneath looked like.

"Hn, the order was canceled two hours ago. Where were you this late?" Sasuke asked back, noticing a sudden tense of muscles on his friend's shoulders.

"I… had something to do in Hokage's Tower." The blonde murmured, clenching his fist to his chest so the raven couldn't see it, remembering the words he heard earlier today.

--

"_I will lessen my brother's punishment bit by bit .This time will cease the death sentence. But do not expect me to do it for free. I will, however, do it every time I sleep with you. There is ninety days of wait for the formal trial. The decision is for you to make." Itachi said, putting his cloak on and disappearing without a glance at the fallen boy behind him._

_--_

"Fuck!" Naruto shouted loudly, punching the wall next to the door leading to his bedroom; effectively making quite a large gash in it.

"D-dobe?" Sasuke asked, startled by the sudden behavior.

"It's nothing." The blonde answered with a sigh, before disappearing inside his room, leaving his friend, whose brows were narrowed.

--

"Fox, Hokage-sama wishes to see you." The other ANBU said as soon as Naruto set his foot in Konoha's grounds. The blond only nodded once, before turning his attention to the other raven that was closing in on them slowly.

"What was it about?" Sasuke asked, eyeing the spot where a second earlier the ANBU was standing.

"Your dick of a brother wants to see me." The teen said half heartedly.

"Why?"

"How should I know?" Naruto asked back while resuming his walking.

"Aren't you going to see him?" The prodigy asked, noticing that Hokage Tower was in a different direction.

"I'm hungry and I need a shower. It's not like he has anything to do anyway." The teen said with a shrug, noticing that his best friend; satisfied with the answer; joined in to walk with him.

_It is Naruto and food we're talking about here, after all._ Sasuke thought, while both of them joined in a light conversation about the mission Naruto just came back from.

--

"Dobe."

"Shut up."

"The meeti-"

"I said I'll go later so shut up." Naruto bit back angrily while looking through the window at the village down below. Sasuke frowned.

Something was definitely wrong with his friend.

True, he was the one that knew all too well just how much Naruto hated the formal visits in Hokage's office, but this was just _plain ridiculous_, even for the blond idiot.

He was expecting that his current host would take a shower and leave immediately after that. But instead the Dobe sat fully dressed on his bed, losing himself in his own world. That was the second strange thing Sasuke noticed. While he knew the blonde wasn't a real idiot, the teen never saw him so deep in thoughts. It was, in a way, unnerving the ex-Uchiha for some reason.

Naruto on the other hand was in the middle of remembering his first mission ever, with the original squad. Especially the moment on the bridge when Sasuke shielded him from the needles that were send at him.

He had no idea just how long he was repeating the event in his head, until he made his decision and abruptly stood up.

"Dobe?" Sasuke asked a little startled by the sudden movement.

"Sasuke I…" The teen started before turning to his friend with a typical grin plastered on his face. "…I'm going to see the bastard now."

"I can come with you if you want." The raven said, slowly closing the scroll he was studying.

"No!" The blonde replied fast, a little panicked. "Look, it'll probably be another boring shit-talk about the mission. And since you were deprived of your status as a ninja for now, your brother with stick showed deep in his ass probably won't let you listen to it." Sasuke sighed and nodded, finding that the blonde had a point.

"Oh and…" Naruto paused and looked at him sideway. "… I might be back late so don't wait for me." The teen finished and walked out of the apartment with a light smile on his lips. He swore he heard a grumbled 'who would wait for you' behind his back.

--

"Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked surprised, looking through his window to see the blonde walking up the stairs to his chambers. "I never expected you to come." The raven continued with a light chuckle. "The doors are open so feel free to come in." The teen remained in his spot for a second before walking up the rest of the road and turning the knob to open the door.

Once inside he took a look around the living room, expecting to see the man already there. To his surprise there was no one.

"Come upstairs. I'm in the second room to the right." Itachi's voice called from above. In a heartbeat he was in the said location, his eyes hardening as soon as he saw the raven standing next to the same window.

"I was convinced you wouldn't show up anymore." Uchiha said with that emotionless face that tested Naruto's patience very effectively.

"I thought a lot about it…" The blonde started, unzipping his vest. "It's true that it might be dangerous; going against the council and all that stuff I mean. I really don't want to pay you with sex, but more than that I want to save Sasuke to show him what it truly _means_ to have a _brother_. And with your position…" Naruto trailed off, looking for the right words to voice his feelings.

_That's right. I can't gain anything, without giving something in return_. He thought and looked at the man in front of him with determined and sharp eyes.

_Ah, those eyes…_ Itachi mused, remembering the first time he saw the same expression on the blonde's face. _The same eyes he had back then at the Academy Opening Ceremony. Those challenging, sharp eyes, ready to prove his existence to the people._

"I don't want him to die." Naruto said sternly, gaining back the raven's attention. "I don't care what I have to do for that. I'm ready to give my body to you and became your dog. I will step on those dangerous grounds with you." The teen finished with a toothy smirk. "It's true that compare to you I may be a child, but you should know that if Uzumaki Naruto decides something, he will do everything in his power to achieve it. I just thought I should remind you of that." Itachi let a small smirk played on his lips at the last statement.

"Is that your resolve?" The raven asked, taking slow steps in the boy's direction.

"Yes." Naruto answered without hesitation, not moving from his spot. Uchiha blinked, slightly surprised, but pleased at the answer.

"Very well. Shall we test it?" Itachi asked pointing at the large double bed with his slender, pale finger. "Uzumaki Naruto's seriousness, that is."

--

The blonde had no idea what exactly happened between them talking and him laying on the pure white sheets, with his own hand clasped tightly around his mouth.

"Is there something wrong, Naruto-kun? You're shaking." Itachi said, looking at the boy from his position in between the tanned legs; while licking the tanned stomach.

"Shut up!" The blonde growled, but it came out more as a muffled moan. Chuckling, the raven moved up, grabbing the teen's arms and lifting them above their owner's head.

"Let me go!" Naruto snarled, but the sound was swallowed by a pair of pale lips that cascaded down on his pink ones, which were tightly shut. Uchiha broke their connection with a slight frown.

"It would appear I need to teach you how to kiss as well." The raven said and moved his thumb to the teen's bottom lip, forcing it open.

"That's right…" Itachi whispered leaning down again and taking his time to discover every little detail of Naruto's mouth, urging the teen's tongue to meet and play with his own. It didn't last long, however, as the need for air grew.

"That's how you do it." Uchiha murmured, breathing heavily when they broke apart again. Without a warning, he flipped the blonde on his stomach and pushed his pulsing and aching length into the tight entrance.

Naruto gasped loudly, and cursed himself mentally for letting such a disgusting sound out. Hoping to prevent it from happening again, he bit the sheets under him with his teeth, grabbing the handful of fabric with his fists as well. It didn't go unnoticed by the raven, but the man was too occupied by the wonderful feeling of tightness around his member to even care. Especially since, after increasing his pace, the gasps the blonde was emitting didn't cease; if anything they became more labored and harsh, until the muscles surrounding him clenched and, with a quiet grunt, the boy came, splashing the white liquid on the equally white fabric under him.

--

Two weeks has passed since Sasuke moved in to the blonde. He even got used to the presence of four ANBU guarding him day and night from afar. Everything was normal, everything aside from the fact that Naruto was fairly often summoned by his idiotic relative of a brother. Usually the Dobe would grumble about it, before leaving right before the nightfall and returning in the middle of the night, or even right before the sunrise. Whenever it was, his friend would greet him; if he was still awake, that is; and retire to his bedroom, saying stuff like 'Don't wake me till ten' before sleeping like a rock.

Of course, there were thing that Sasuke tried to overlook, like for example, the fact that the blonde always came back cleaned, as if he took a shower.

_You're such a hassle, Dobe._ The raven thought, putting the scroll away and coming up to stand next to the sleeping form on the bed, that just kicked away his blanket.

"You're going to catch a cold, Usuratonkachi." Sasuke murmured grabbing the abused fabric, before a certain marks on the tanned arms caught his attention.

_Bug bites? At this time of the year?_ The prodigy thought with a frown, lifting the teen's t-shirt to expose his stomach.

_Even on his stomach and legs?_ The expression deepened. _He shouldn't have any on the places covered by the clothes._ He covered the teen, who sighed contently, nuzzling deeper into the pillow.

_That Dobe that's always summoned by my idiotic brother, coming home late with his hair still half wet. I assumed it was from the snow, but what if it's not the case? What if…?_ Sasuke paused in his thought, his body going rigid, just as the first rays of sun tried to make its way through the dark grey clouds.

Second later he was down on the road, storming through the streets of Konoha with a look of absolute loath on his face, for once glad that people had enough brain in them to move out of his way. He wasn't sure what he would do if someone tried to stop him right now. He was sure of one thing, though. That he was a time bomb, which would explode upon seeing a certain _someone._

"You there, stop!" One of the shinobi guarding the entry to Hokage Tower called, but Sasuke ignored him, focused solely on his task. Distractions could wait for later.

He jumped on the staircase, counting the floors, till he reached the final one. Ignoring the glares and calls, he kicked open the double wooden door and stormed inside the office, marveling at the surprised expressions, especially the one on his brother's face.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked confused, looking up from the papers in her hands. The teen brushed her off, going straight for the man behind the desk; his eyes unconsciously switching to his Sharingan; before he grabbed the man's throat and pushed him against a wall.

"Sasuke-kun let him go, please!" The pink haired kunoichi called in a desperate tone. The ex-Uchiha hadn't even heard her, marveling at the feeling of pale flesh under his fingers.

"Aniki…" Sasuke started in a voice dripping with venom. "… people like you… people…" He paused to find the right words.

"The Dobe… you…" The prodigy said through his gritted teeth, seething and squeezing his brother's throat tighter, looking straight in the charcoal eyes.

"What the hell did you do to Naruto?!"

* * *

So... like it? Hate it? :P I have a request... I'm sure some of you may know what doujin this story is based on. If you do then xxxl ItaNaru shaped cookies to you, but please don't tell anyone! It may spoil the fun for them :P

For those who don't know: ANBU Team 1 is the team that's directly under Hokage, guarding him and stuff :P It's the truth, really! :P

So anyway, about that little secret... those were the first lime scenes I wrote... ever :P *blushes in embarasment* Hope they weren't all that terrible :P

Well, see you soon! ;) (I hope)


	2. Chapter 2

Ok, so to clear any confusion: **This is ItaNaru fic, but there will also be quite a lot of SasuNaru, but only in BROTHERLY way!**

Now that that's cleaned up, yo! ;D

I'm in a good mood today and decided to post another chapter. Why? Because I can. And because I have no idea when will be the next time I'll upload (very small chances of it being next week)

But most off all, because** today is my name day! ;D** So yeah, you guys are lucky ;D

And don't you all worry! This will so NOT turn into SasuNaru! I'm a diehard ItaNaru fan! ;D But I suppose some of you already know it :P

Well, that's all I have to say at the moment.

"abc" - talking

_ abc _ - thinking

_"abc"_ - flashbacks

--

Without further ado, please enjoy to the fullest ;)

* * *

**Previously in Of love and mistakes:**

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked confused, looking up from the papers in her hands. The teen brushed her off, going straight for the man behind the desk; his eyes unconsciously switching to his Sharingan; before he grabbed the man's throat and pushed him against a wall.

"Sasuke-kun let him go, please!" The pink haired kunoichi called in a desperate tone. The ex-Uchiha hadn't even heard her, marveling at the feeling of pale flesh under his fingers.

"Aniki…" Sasuke started in a voice dripping with venom. "… people like you… people…" He paused to find the right words.

"The Dobe… you…" The prodigy said through his gritted teeth, seething and squeezing his brother's throat tighter, looking straight in the charcoal eyes.

"What the hell did you do to Naruto?!"

* * *

Naruto groaned when the first rays of sun hit his face and shivered feeling the cold air blowing on his exposed skin. Stretching his hand, the blonde tried to locate the blanket to cover himself again, but finding none, he frowned, cracking open his one eye and noticing the bites on his stomach.

_The bastard marked me like there's no tomorrow._

He sat up slightly, supporting himself with his arm and looked around the room to find what he was looking for. Instead of the blanket, his gaze found an open scroll laying on the floor next to his bed.

_Sasuke?_ Naruto thought getting up and looking around his house. Only then he halted his movements; his eyes widening.

--

Few minutes later he was running along the streets of Konoha, looking for any sign of the black, spiked up hairs. He stopped at the intersection to get his breath, while pondering which road he should take.

_What's that ominous feeling I have? _The blonde thought, when his nose caught the familiar scent. Looking to his right, Naruto half smiled spotting the familiar ramen stand.

"Old man!" The teen called storming in to the place.

"Ah if it isn't Naruto! Came to grab a bowl so early in the morning?" Teuchi asked, cleaning the counter.

"Not this time gramps. Have you seen Sasuke?" The man blinked and looked at his best client.

"Sasuke… that black haired boy from your team?" Uzumaki nodded in answer.

"I believe I saw him few minutes ago storming angrily to the right."

_Right?_ Naruto thought looking in said direction, when his eyes landed on particular building.

_In the direction of the Hokage Tower?_ Without a word the blonde dashed with only one thing in his mind.

_Sasuke!_

--

The silence was so thick and heavy that Sakura had hard time breathing. While the whole situation started barely few minutes ago, more of the people came to the office to see what the commotion was about.

The ex-Uchiha was struggling very hard to not snap the pale throat right on the spot. He wasn't that stupid, though he did wonder why his brother hadn't order the four ANBU guarding him to take action or restrain him. The masked shinobi were just standing, with their kunai and swords pointed in his direction.

"Otouto…" Itachi started in between short intakes of air. "Are you going to allow me to say the situation you and your… _friend _are currently in, here in front of everyone?"

Sasuke 'tch'ed' in answer, but his hold on the other's skin remained the same.

"Let me go." The older Uchiha said with emotionless face, looking at the younger Sharingan with his own one. Sasuke's grip tightened just as the poof of smoke revealed Jiraya and Tsunade who came to give a quick report, instead finding themselves in the midst of the confusion.

Second later, however, the people near the door were pushed aside, revealing the out of breath owner of the blond mop of hair.

"Gaki?"

"Midget?" Both of the sannins asked surprised, but the question never reached Naruto's ears.

"Let him go, Teme…" The blonde murmured loud enough for his friend to hear him. The ex-Uchiha snarled, tightening his grip once again instead.

"LET HIM GO SASUKE!" Naruto roared and the boy flinched by the force of it, loosening his hold immediately.

"Hokage-sama!" The two ANBU guards called when Itachi slumped to the floor, massaging his throat while breathing heavily.

"Sasuke-kun, what's going on?" Sakura decided to ask the question that was roaming in everyone's mind. The raven haired teen didn't answer, looking wordlessly at the blonde standing in the door.

"We're sorry for all the commotion, Sakura-chan." Naruto mumbled with a light bow. "Let's go Teme." He added turning around, ready to leave.

"Dobe…" Sasuke said not moving a muscle. Uzumaki turned to look at his best friend, before he closed the distance between them with few steps and leaned his forehead on the other's chest.

"I… I will explain it to you, so please let's just go back, ok?" Naruto whispered in a voice that made the ex-Uchiha inside's clench painfully. He still grunted in affirmative, though.

Everyone present at the scene watched how the duo left without as much as a word of goodbye.

"He wasn't even pissed we called him 'brat' and a 'midget'." Jiraya whispered to Tsunade who nodded in agreement.

"Haruno-san, the papers I was working on… they are all over the place. Could you pick them up?" Itachi asked, still massaging the abused skin. Sakura nodded, kneeling down and picking up the pages laying loosely on the floor. After a minute, she finished, but didn't move from the spot next to the raven.

"Hokage-sama…" The pink haired kunoichi started, looking down at the wooden surface. "… Naruto's reaction aside; Sasuke-kun would never get so upset over something trivial. What the hell…" She growled quietly, gazing at the raven with the hardest glare she could muster. "… did you do to them?"

"I did nothing of sorts. He was the one who started this game." Itachi answered, not looking at the woman next to him.

"Hokage-sama!" Sakura said loudly, frustrated at herself for the lack of understanding. In the same time Uchiha flinched from brushing the very sensitive and raw spot on his neck.

"I apologize."

"Eh? Why?" The pink haired kunoichi asked; staring at the raven with her rounded emerald eyes filled with confusion.

"No, it's no…" Itachi paused and chuckled lightly to himself. "Ah, children who know what they want are indeed scary. Just like he told me."

--

"Do you think I will be happy if you sacrifice your body to return me my freedom?!!" Sasuke screamed outraged at what he just heard.

"It's not really a sacrifice or anything." Naruto answered tiredly looking away from his best friend. "It's just a deal, that's all." He finished with a sigh.

"If you didn't start this relationship on your own; which I'm sure you didn't; this can be considered as a sacrifice!"

"Fine, fine. It's not like I like it, but I agreed to do it."

"I won't accept it!" Sasuke growled out and the blonde's face fell.

"Listen Teme, it's really nothing to get worked up over. I'm just repaying a favor, that's all."

_A favor?_ The raven thought bewildered, but his friend's voice brought him back on earth.

"About sleeping with your brother…" Naruto started and Sasuke couldn't help but blink at that. "At first it hurts like hell, and after that my hips and ass are sore all over, but in the middle it feels pretty good." He said the last part with his typical grin. "Plus I can see the son of a bitch's sleeping face so it's kinda bonus. And well, it's a way to get rid of some tension." The blonde finished with a shrug. Sasuke snarled and turned his back to the teen, but Naruto still catched a glimpse of the pale hands twitching and clenching into fists.

"Oh come on Teme, don't sulk on me here!" Uzumaki said, trying to lighten the mood. "It's just how it is, deal with it. Besides, what Itachi said is also true. It's the price I choose to pay in return for him stepping on the dangerous ground and going against the council."

"Why…" Sasuke whispered; fisting his hands till his knuckles turned white. "… why is always _only _you?" Cerulean eyes blinked, a bit surprised.

"You know, I'm not sure you would be a good bed partner for him." Naruto mumbled and the raven shuddered, feeling how the nausea threatened to claim him.

"Please stop that." Sasuke said gripping the shirt on his stomach.

"Anyway! I'll let you know if there'll be something you can help with. For now, let's grab some food!"

--

It was almost dark outside when a bird messenger circled outside of the blonde's apartment window.

"It's _him_. He's calling for you, isn't he?" Sasuke asked; his brows narrowed.

"What's with that face?" Naruto asked with a frown of his own. "I told you I'm fine. It's really nothing." He said and with a light wave of his hand, the teen open the door and left, closing them and leaning against the wooden surface.

_That's right, I'm fine._ He though, breathing deeply with his eyes closed. _I thought I lost myself when someone was actually attracted to me, a jinchuuriki. But… _Naruto grabbed the left side of his cloak. _… my heart is here, and the person closest to me is right behind these doors. I haven't lost anything. Not yet_. The teen slowly opened his eyes, squeezing the fabric tighter.

_That's why I'm fine. I'm fine!_ With that last thought the blonde moved silently out of the building.

--

Naruto hid his face in the crook of the pale neck, unable to suppress the gasps coming out of his mouth when Itachi lowered his tanned body and impale it onto his awaiting member. Grimacing at the uncomfortable feeling, the blonde squeezed the shoulder of the man he was currently riding, while the raven moved his hips to get a better angle, forcing the teen to support his balance by putting his arm on the bed behind his back.

"The mark my brother left is taking its time to heal. I would be pleased if you took responsibility for his actions." Itachi said while ceasing his movements.

"And what do you want me to do about it?" Naruto asked with a frown.

"Lick it." The raven replied with a smirk. "You are my dog, are you not?" He asked, pushing the blonde's head to the finger-shaped bruises. "If you are, then you should obey your master." Naruto didn't answer, but pressed his tongue to the abused skin, moving it in uncertain strokes, while Uchiha resumed his slow thrusting. Although the movements became faster after few minutes, when Itachi pushed the teen tighter to his chest with his one arm, while the other one sneaked under the tanned knee.

"Ah, Ita-!" Naruto gasped loudly, when the raven flipped him from his lap on to the bed, continuously thrusting inside the blonde. The teen's voice was muffled by the lips that took his angrily, biting and pulling on his, now red, bottom lip. Naruto shuddered, clamping his mouth and eyes shut to keep the sounds from coming out, clenching the white sheet underneath him, while Itachi leaned back, intensifying his thrusts.

"Naruto-kun, are you trying to offend me?" Uchiha breathed out. "If you feel something you should voice it. Or do you wish for me to increase the pace so much that you won't be able to do nothing, but scream?"

"Is this… also an order?" The blonde asked when the pale hands grabbed under his knees and put them on the man's shoulders.

"Yes." Itachi answered, pulling his member almost completely out of the entrance.

"Understood, Hokage-sama." Naruto said with his voice void of any emotions, averting his empty eyes. The raven was angered by that, which showed in a particularly deep thrust back inside, hitting the special spot inside the boy. The blonde moaned loudly, arching his back and grabbing the fabric above his head. Itachi smirked, thrusting in the same place over and over again, bathing in the sounds enveloping him like a gown.

_God, hearing myself like this… it's sickening_. Naruto thought, when he heard the raven breathing harshly next to his ear. He knew the man was close; he himself was almost there, praying to end it as fast as possible. And it seemed that luck was at least partly on his side, when the raven above him gave three more irregular thrusts, before sending both of them over the edge, with Naruto's throaty moan in the form of Itachi's name ripping from the teen's lips.

--

"Fuck! I can't concentrate." Sasuke growled and dropped the book to the floor with a sigh.

_Probably because the Dobe is with Aniki._ He thought looking outside the window at the ink black sky, wondering about the person that was more of a family to him then his real one.

What face did his brother made? How the blonde looked in those merciless arms? And more than anything; why Naruto was the one? The prodigy knew very well that this sort of…_ things_… should be done with a woman.

_I don't get it!_ The raven growled kicking the book and sending it flying through the small corridor just as the front door opened.

"Sasuke? What are you doing?" Naruto asked glad that it was the wall and not his face that received the impact.

"D-dobe, you're back." The raven mumbled, slightly embarrassed at being caught. The blonde sighed, too tired to tease his friend.

"Well, whatever, I'm going to sleep." He said and brushed past the raven to the bedroom, glad that it was still in one piece. Sasuke didn't know why, but he followed and walked in just in time to see the blonde pulling on his white t-shirt, covering the marks all over his body.

"What?" Naruto asked noticing the intense and narrowed glare directed at him. The ex-Uchiha just shook his head, not really trusting his voice at the moment with all the anger boiling inside him. Cerulean eyes blinked and their owner shrugged, getting under the blankets. It was unusually cold tonight.

"Don't wake me 'till noon." With that last statement, the blonde nuzzled into his pillow, letting out content sigh.

It didn't even take three minutes for Sasuke to hear the even breathing of his friend; a signal that the Dobe was dead asleep. Letting out a sigh of his own, the raven sat on the floor, leaning against the bed and opened the book he was_ trying_ to read before. Now that the other was here, he was able to concentrate again.

The dim light from the outside lamps illuminated the room, bathing it in strange-shaped shadows. Soundlessly, Sasuke turned to look at his friend, who groaned quietly in his resting state.

"Sleep well, Usuratonkachi." He whispered, thinking that maybe he should treat the Dobe to some ramen to lighten the blonde's mood, even if just a little. And after that, maybe they could spar, too.

--

The next, or rather the same day, only later in the afternoon, Naruto was sitting in the library in Hokage's Tower. He was looking through various scrolls and books, looking for some new and interesting jutsu to learn; one that matched his nature element, wind.

He closed the tenth one, kicking the ladder he was sitting on with his foot. This resulted in scattering all of the files on the floor under him.

_Aa I messed up! Iruka-sensei is going to kill me! _The teen thought; climbing down and kneeling on the floor to collect all of the books; not noticing a pair of eyes, leering at him warily. That is, until he felt someone touching the base of his nape. Tensing and turning around, the blonde let out a surprised gasp.

"Kage?!" He half whispered at the man whose face was covered by the ANBU mask; decorated with a single back swirl.

"Naruto-kun, after doing _that_, you should be careful. Otherwise people might tease you about it." The man said and removed his finger from the slightly purpled spot on the tanned skin.

"Yeah, sorry." The teen mumbled and turned fully to the other one. He and Kage quickly became something akin to friends after he joined ANBU. Of course, he saw the blonde few times before during his meetings with Sandaime-jiji in his office. He wanted to know more about the mysterious ANBU ever since. Naruto knew, he didn't have to tell it, but Kage was one of the few who helped him during the time when Sasuke fled from the village.

"Still, no one would ever think that your partner is _that _person." The man said gaining back the younger blonde's attention. The teen flinched slightly.

"Kage…" He whispered, looking at the man with slightly wide eyes.

"I will not complain who he chooses to sleep with as long as it's not interfering with his work." The older blonde said with a light tone at which Naruto chuckled lightly.

"There are, however, times…" Kage said, his voice turning to the serious one. "… when I can't help but wonder why didn't he choose me as his partner? We've known each other ever since we were appointed to the same ANBU squad together." Cerulean eyes blinked in surprise, but Naruto didn't answer. He wasn't really sure what to say at that.

"Would you sleep with me, Naruto-kun? As a way to get back at him?"

"Huh? Are you-" The blonde paused when their eyes locked and he saw the most serious and deadliest expression put on someone's face. They held their gazes a little longer, before the older man sighed, letting out a light laugh.

"I was joking. Don't take it to the heart." He said and turned around, ready to leave, but stopped half way.

"I do not know, nor do I wish to know, what kind of deal you and Hokage-sama made. But is it really worth prostituting yourself over it?" Without waiting for an answer, Kage disappeared in the shadow.

Naruto slowly got up, squeezing his fists to stop his body from trembling.

_That was scary. For a moment there I thought he's going to kill me._ The blonde thought, when the man's last words echoed in his head.

"_Is it really worth prostituting yourself over it?"_

Grabbing the front of his t-shirt, Naruto got back to his knees, crawling at his chest with his nails.

_Fuck!_ He screamed in his head, trying to suppress the aching in his heart. _Why can't they see it? Why can't they understand that I'm just trying to protect my important person?!_ Naruto thought, punching the floor with his free fist till his knuckles started to bleed.

--

"It finally faded." Itachi said looking at his neck in the mirror, inside his bathroom. "Those two truly will be the end of me someday." He murmured with a slight frown gracing his features.

In truth he wanted to end everything by proposing the deal. He was tired of the Council; especially those two old farts bragging about how he should threw the blonde out of the village, or get rid of him.

--

"_The boy is dangerous because he's emotionally unstable. And being a Jinchuuriki with a weak mental strength how long do you think it will take for the Kyuubi to take over and destroy the whole village?" Charcoal eyes narrowed, looking at the pair in front of him from behind his mask._

"_What do you propose Councilors?" The raven asked, not really certain if he wanted to hear the answer._

"_Use him and humiliate him in the most hideous way possible." The man answered, before both of them disappeared, leaving the _Weasel_ alone._

_--_

"The same way you want something, there is also something I want, Naruto-kun." Itachi said to himself, putting the white cloak on the armchair. "I do believe there is no reason for us to care about the appearance." The raven continued, sitting at the edge of his bed.

_A scream echoing in the sky._

"I am very well aware of how stubborn you are. However no matter what I did to push you away…" Uchiha trailed of, placing his hand on his face with a tired sigh.

"I never thought it's possible for you to appear before me again."

--

"_Hokage-sama what did you do to those two? Please tell me everything." Sakura asked again, trying to get to the core of the situation. _

"_As I said before, Haruno-san, he was the one who started this game."_

--

"I admit that I got swept away in your seriousness." Itachi said with a bitter chuckle.

_A relationship that wasn't supposed to exist in the first place._

"But since it turned out this way, I will use you and enjoy it to the fullest. Naruto-kun, this is a game. The first one who mistakes it for anything more will lose." Itachi said looking through the empty bedroom, before his gaze landed on the window.

"I suppose you are the person I shouldn't concern myself with in that department."

_That's right. You and I both have something we wish to achieve. We both are full of ourselves._ The raven thought, getting up and stepping next to the window, opening it.

"We both do not have time for something as useless as love affairs. Which is why I will keep this relationship of ours as light-hearted as possible." Itachi said, looking down at the silhouette of the blonde, whose cerulean eyes were looking right back at him.

* * *

Soo.... like the chapter? Hate it? Well, as long as it inflicted emotions in you that's good. Whether they were positive or negative :P

I will try to update asap, but, as my boss said today during our conversation on the phone "tomorrow is going to be a hell so make sure you rest properly". I'm actually kinda scared, but oh well, I'll just have to wait and see :P

So, I hope to meet you again soon! ;)


	3. Chapter 3

Yo! Today's my day off so I decided to update this story. I will be switching between Black Guardian and this one so that neither of them will be neglected :P To be honest I'm actually quite surprised people like this story, seeing that it's based on a doujin and all :P Not that I'm complaining, god no! ;D

--

"abc" - speaking

_abc_ - thinking

_"abc" _- flashbacks

--

Without further ado, please enjoy! ;)

* * *

**Previously on Of love and mistakes:**

"I admit that I got swept away in your seriousness." Itachi said with a bitter chuckle.

_A relationship that wasn't supposed to exist in the first place._

"But since it turned out this way, I will use you and enjoy it to the fullest. Naruto-kun, this is a game. The first one who mistakes it for anything more will lose." Itachi said looking through the empty bedroom, before his gaze landed on the window.

"I suppose you are the person I shouldn't concern myself with in that department."

_That's right. You and I both have something we wish to achieve. We both are full of ourselves._ The raven thought, getting up and stepping next to the window, opening it.

"We both do not have time for something as useless as love affairs. Which is why I will keep this relationship of ours as light-hearted as possible." Itachi said, looking down at the silhouette of the blonde, whose cerulean eyes were looking right back at him.

* * *

"Not… there…!" Naruto gasped loudly, gripping the sheets.

"Oh… did I hit a good spot?" The man above him asked with a chuckle. Uzumaki didn't answer, averting his head to the side, with a light blush adoring his cheeks.

"I see." Itachi murmured, raising the tanned hips and slamming in the same spot over and over again.

"Ah, no… sto… wai-" The blonde protested, trying not to lose his mind to these strange feelings he was experiencing.

"Stop it!" He said when his pleads were ignored and put his hands on the man's face to push him away. Itachi grabbed them and looked at the boy with a hard glare.

"Are you trying to break the contract?" Uchiha asked and cerulean eyes widened. Pleased with the reaction, the raven gripped the tanned hands with his pale one and pressed them on the bed, forcing the teen's body to follow suit.

"No, that spot is really… really…" Naruto breathed when Uchiha resumed his thrusting with full force.

"Itachi!" The blonde gave one last desperate scream, before losing himself in the pleasure he was receiving.

Upon hearing the sweet sounds coming from the body beneath him, Uchiha shuddered in pleasure and moved the boy's face to seal those sinful lips with a kiss. Just as both of them came, Naruto bit on the intruder.

--

"How cruel… biting my lip like that." Itachi said from his sitting position at the end of the bed, touching the fresh wound.

"That's 'cause you kissed me with a strange timing." Naruto answered tiredly; laying on the bed with the arm shielding his eyes.

The silence fell between them for a moment, before the teen decided to speak.

"There's something I want to ask." He said gaining the raven's attention. "Why… me?"

The pale hand moved unconsciously away from its owner's lips at the question.

"I'm sure you're popular; being an Uchiha and even Hokage to boot. I also know it's a price I choose to pay you, but wouldn't it be better to do it with a woman?" Naruto finished looking at the man in question.

_I never thought he would ask that, but there is no way I can tell the truth._ Itachi briefly wondered, before speaking.

"Women are a lot more dangerous than you think, Naruto-kun. And being friends with Haruno Sakura I'm sure you understand what I'm talking about." The blonde wrinkled his nose at that.

"They smile and say those sweet words of love while planning your demise in their heads."

"Are you talking about spies?" The teen asked, moving his arm away.

"Do not be mistaken. I am confident in not spilling any secrets in bed, but… if someone breaks my neck while I sleep it would be a waste." Uchiha finished with a chuckle.

_Well, this is partly truth too._

"Compared to that, having you as my partner is comfortable in many ways. Mostly because, even if you want to kill me, you won't do it, because you need me."

--

_Maybe I really should kill him when that deal is over_. Naruto thought, allowing the warm water to wash away all the unpleasant touches that burned his skin. With another tired sigh, he turned the knob off and left the shower, putting the clothes on his still wet body.

_I better get the hell out of here._ The blonde thought and just as he was about to walk down the stairs, he noticed that one of the doors was slightly opened. With curiosity getting the better of him, the teen silently moved and slipped his head inside.

_Is that… his study? _Naruto mused when he was fully inside the room; looking around.

It wasn't anything too flashy; as one would expect of the Hokage. The room was mostly filled with bookcases, along with one desk, chair and a small sofa. All of which was covered in books, scrolls and any other documents.

Normally, Uzumaki wasn't the one to read, but seeing as this was the Hokage's private_ library_, he couldn't stop himself from looking at the covers.

_Whoa, what an amazing collection about doujutsu and ninjutsu._ Naruto thought while caressing the worn out front of one of the books.

"So he's studying here? It's kinda hard to imagine… Uchiha sitting and reading. Then again, I guess he must have gotten smart somehow." The blonde murmured while putting the item under his winter cloak.

--

Sasuke sighed closing the bedroom door with one last look at the blond mop of hair.

_Why the hell do I have to buy him food?_ He thought with a frown; remembering the 'buy me something to eat' that Naruto said earlier, before going to sleep. He knew he was just bragging. After all, buying food was the least he could do to compensate for Uzumaki's sacrifice. Yes, he thought of it as that, despite Naruto's protests.

Deciding to eat something healthy for a change, Sasuke turned left to visit the local grocery bazaar. As soon as he took the corner his steps halted. There, not more than twenty meters away was Itachi talking with some beautiful woman.

"Aniki…" The ex-Uchiha whispered angrily, gaining the raven's attention. With a polite bow from the female, Itachi turned and walked up to his relative.

"Last time we saw each other was when you made trouble, isn't that right?" Sasuke didn't answer, but the fist on his side clenched painfully.

"I have a meeting with the Council, so excuse me." Hokage said and passed the teen by, but stopped when his brother called him.

"Aniki… did the mark on your neck disappear?" The older Uchiha kept quiet.

"I won't say anything, because the Dobe asked me to. But know that I will not accept your relationship, nor will I forgive you for it. If you hurt him, I will not take responsibility for my actions." Sasuke said in a low, threatening voice and turned to look at the man who was gazing right back at him.

"Let's close it in our hearts then. When the time comes, naturally, I won't keep quiet either." Itachi said with a chuckle. "The best solution for now is to not kill you while you seek your revenge." The teen's eyes widened at the statement.

"Did you know?" The raven continued. "That no matter how tired Naruto-kun is, he never sleeps by my side. Aside from our activities, he never shows any sign of weakness before coming back to you. It's his way of showing that my place will never be save enough for him." Itachi said and with a short raise of his hand, he turned again and left, not waiting for an answer from the stunned teenager.

--

"I'm ba-" Sasuke paused when he saw how Naruto rushed inside the bathroom and emptied the content of his stomach into the sink.

_Fuck! How humiliating!_ The blonde thought furiously.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The raven asked putting the bags on the table.

"It's nothing." Uzumaki replied drying his washed face.

"It's not nothing Usuratonkachi. You threw up."

"I said I'm fine! Don't worry about me!" Naruto said, knowing what effect it will have on his friend. Surely, few seconds later he heard a grumbled 'I'm not worried' coming from the ex-Uchiha's direction.

Glad that Sasuke let it go, choosing to focus on making the meal, the blonde stood in the middle of the room, gazing at his reflection in the windows.

_It's always like this after seeing that dream. Shit! Why can I block it all out while we're doing it, but it comes back full force once I'm home?_ Naruto thought, gripping the fluffy towel in his hand tighter.

He knew that deep down, his body, Kyuubi, or maybe even both, rejected this unnatural on so many level relationship.

He wondered about it during the lunch, ignoring the strange looks his roommate was giving him. He knew only one solution to the situation at hand. And that was to get the hell out of here, even if for a day or two.

"Say Sasuke…" Naruto said gaining the other's attention. "… how about visiting Tazuna and Inari? It's been a while since we saw them."

"I'm confined to the village, Usuratonkachi. There is no way they would let me out now."

"Hm… that's true, but…" Naruto started but Sasuke cut him off.

"Don't even think of buying me ticket out with your body." Cerulean eyes widened for a split second before the boy moved to his bedroom and back, sitting at the table.

"I was thinking of asking Kage for help, Teme. That and, well…" The blonde trailed off placing the book in front of his friend.

"What is that?" Sasuke asked, eyeing the item suspiciously, before opening it. Instantly, his eyes widened. Uzumaki grinned at the reaction.

"I took it from the bastard. Can you imagine he actually sleeps like a dead rock? Anyway, I found this cool jutsu in here I want to learn. There's also a lot about doujutsu and illusion techniques so I guess you could you use it too, huh?" Naruto said and when he didn't hear the answer, he looked up at Sasuke, who was reading with a look of deep concentration on his face.

"I guess that settles it." The blonde mumbled quietly, with a small smile tugging at the end of his lips.

--

"That said, the meeting is closed." Itachi formally said, getting up from his seat.

"Hokage-sama, could you wait for a minute." The man whose half of the face was covered in bandages asked, forcing his voice to sound politely. Uchiha waited until the room was empty, before turning to face the man.

"What is it Danzou?" The raven asked, eyeing the councilor warily. Instead of answering, the elder presented him with a scroll.

"Why are you showing me this?" Itachi asked after reading the content.

"I thought it would be obvious. The group of missing-nins roaming freely around the Fire Country… are you sure you want to let that happen, _Hokage-sama_?"

"I see. So you wish to get rid of the problem, and by the way you mention it only at the end of the meeting you want it to be done unofficially. Am I right?"

"One vice-captain and four other ANBU members will be enough to handle this mission."

"We will depart tonight." That was all the confirmation both of them needed. Although, by a slight raise of the man's eyebrow, Uchiha knew Danzou was surprised that he included himself in the operation. By all means it wasn't that he thought his people couldn't handle the task. He himself simply wished to see if his skills were as sharp as ever. Being busy with nothing but paperwork for a year could do wonders to it.

With his mind set, Itachi grabbed the door handle, ready to open the door, when another hand on the wooden surface stopped him.

"You've been acting a bit strange lately." Danzou whispered into his ear.

"Whatever do you mean by that?" The raven replied with calm and collected voice.

"The Kyuubi's vessel." The man said and Uchiha's eyebrow twitched shortly.

"I heard you became quite…_ interested_ in the boy. If it's to fulfill what the Councilors asked of you then there is no problem, however…" The rest of the sentence was cut off by Itachi, who left the meeting room with a deep frown on his face. For some odd reason, he felt disturbed that Danzou called Naruto as nothing more but an item.

He stormed angrily through the corridors where his eyes found the boy with a blue scarf around his neck.

"Sarutobi-kun, call Kage and Nara-san to my office." Konohamaru nodded and run out of the tower. The raven continued his pace until he walked inside his office.

"Haruno-san, come with me please." Uchiha said and sat behind his desk, showing the scroll he received earlier to the girl.

"This is…" The emerald eyes widened slightly while reading.

"It's so absurd that it's quite entertaining." Itachi said swirling the ink brush between his fingers.

"Call for Naruto-kun."

--

"A summoning? Only me?" The blonde asked surprised, looking at his pink haired friend.

"Yeah, it's important so hurry up." Sakura said and with a light wave of her hand she left the boy's apartment. Naruto blinked and looked at the half packed bag, before putting it under the bed and looking at Sasuke, who wore a scowl on his face.

"Don't worry. Your brother is a bastard but even he wouldn't do_ that_ in his office." With that said, the teen too walked out of his place.

--

"Uzumaki Naruto entering!" The guard announced and the door opened. As soon as he was able to see inside the room, cerulean eyes widened when they landed on the silhouettes of his friends; namely Inuzuka Kiba, Nara Shikamaru, Hyuuga Neji and Kage standing in a straight line in front of the desk.

"You're late." Uchiha's voice brought him back. With one last blink, he moved and stood next to the long haired brunette.

"I will now explain the details of this operation." Itachi said and proceeded to fill his subordinates in the mission, forming plan with the help of Shikamaru, and planning the tracking part with Neji and Kiba. Naruto was honestly confused why the man summoned him here. He knew for a fact, that the four of them could easily get rid of the obstacle without him here.

"I believe that's all. Among the people mentioned before, there is supposed to be an S-class missing-nin." Itachi said and his eyes landed on the blond haired teen.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you are to come with us. That's an order. I believe you know that I will not take 'no' as an answer. And the fact that, in order to survive, you might have to kill people." Cerulean stared into the abyss, before the tanned fist clenched painfully.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Uchiha nodded, somewhat pleased with the answer, before looking at everyone.

"We will meet in front of the North Gate at the sundown. Remember the importance of this mission and move accordingly to it. I invited those who I trust enough to make it as quickly and as quietly as possible. And above all, do not let the other people notice that we are moving. Split." With a nod one by one they disappeared from the office, leaving only the blonde and the raven alone.

"Naruto-kun." Itachi said and the teen turned just in time to catch something.

"A mask?" The boy asked and looked at the man in confusion.

"It's for you. I was told to take someone on a vice-captain level with me." Naruto's eyes widened when he looked at the white mask again. Surely there were two scratches on it, indicating the said earlier rank.

"But-"

"Do not be mistaken. I merely wish to test your strength to see if you are indeed worthy of wearing such a title."

"Understood."

--

"Whoa take a look at _that_!" Kiba said pointing at the blonde with one hand, while pinching Shikamaru with the other.

"Yo Vice Cap! Bless us with your guidance, would ya?" The owner of Akamaru said, all the while laughing loudly.

"Tch, how troublesome."

_The bastard is making fun of me_! Naruto thought furiously, before moving the Fox mask to cover his whole face.

"We're in the middle of the operation, be quiet." Neji said, glancing around the area with his Byakugan.

"I do not believe they would surrender quietly, but remember that our objective is to capture them alive for interrogation." Itachi said from his position in front of others, dressed in a simple ANBU uniform. Funny, that it was actually the first time Naruto saw him in it. Aside from that, he always thought that Hokage's had some cool battle costume or something. And to boot it all, he really thought it looked good on the raven.

"If they notice us and the weapons will start flying, do not show any mercy."

"Yes, sir!" The trio answered and moved to their positions.

"Naruto-kun no matter what you are nothing but a child. Even though I gave you the opportunity to test yourself, you are here for nothing but a back up."

"Do we know anything about them?" The blonde asked, not really wanting to hear the whole speech about how useless he was. It was enough that he knew it himself.

"We did not receive much information. All we know is that they are from the Water Country."

"Huh?" Naruto voiced in shock. "We might as well just charge in and die!" Itachi couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Wasn't it what you used to do? But yes, I suppose this might be what the Council wish for." The blonde turned sharply to look at him.

"Naruto-kun, if you're attacked, do not hesitate or else it may cost you your life." The raven turned and started walking away. "You won't die until you achieve your goal, right?"

_You have a personal mission and to accomplish it you would even sell your body to me. So… don't die!_

--

"Kage in position."

"Dog in position. Don't worry if they try to escape through the back door."

"Understood." Neji said to the wireless radio before he looked inside the seemingly abandoned hut. His eyes widened the instant he did so.

"Raven, they noticed us!" Hyuuga called loudly, pulling out his sword at the same time.

"Get into cover!" Itachi ordered when they saw something flying at them. Both the blonde and Shikamaru quickly ducked to the ground, although the latter wasn't quick enough and got wounded in the arm.

"Water… bullets of water?" Naruto half asked, half stated, looking at the small circle shaped holes in the earth beneath him.

_He molds his chakra to the point of visibility before filling it with the water element and shooting. _Itachi thought, moving to stand in front of the two.

"What a fitting techniques for a one from Water Country." Uchiha said and activated his Sharingan. The teen felt then how it suddenly got warmer.

"Do not step in front of me or you are dead." The way he said it, made Naruto realize what was going on.

_He's using similar method to that guy inside the hut. Although we can't really see it yet, the heat definitely comes from his fire element filled chakra. Because of me and Shika he can't use his full power, so he decided to focus on the front. This quiet fight between two high ranked shinobi…_ The blonde thought, looking at the raven's back. _The delicate balance between them… That balance… will break… NOW!_ Naruto formed the seal as soon as he saw that bloody red eye looking at him.

"Kage bunshin no jutsu." About twenty clones barged inside the hut from the back doors, beating everyone into unconsciousness. It was enough of a signal for the others to attack as well. Shikamaru quickly immobilized the water user with his Kage mane no jutsu. They were just about to leave when one of the men rushed at Naruto with the last of his strength and a kunai in his hand.

"Fox!" Neji called rushing to the blonde, who pulled out his own blade. Uzumaki side stepped the attacker, before kicking him and forcing him to the ground. Without missing a beat, Hyuuga plunged his own kunai in the man's heart, killing him on the spot.

"Are you alright?" The brunette asked.

"Of course. Who the hell do you think I am?" Naruto answered angrily. And just as he was about to open his mouth and continue his whining, his nostrils were filled with the most disgusting scent.

_This is… the smell of burning people?!_ He thought bewildered and rushed out of the hut to see a black cloud of smoke rising into the air. And at its base stood Itachi, with his head cast downward.

"Did someone die?" The blonde asked only for the man to hear. Uchiha looked at him and Naruto saw how the three joined tomoes separated to the normal Sharingan.

"I killed three of them."

"Don… Don't you feel anything while taking people's life's away with your eyes?"

"No. It has been paralyzed long ago." Itachi said and turned sideways to look at his work.

_Ah, that's right. He was practically born in the middle of the Third Shinobi War._ The teen thought sadly. And the feeling surfaced for a brief moment on his face.

"I do not care if you despise me, however… stop pitying me." The uncomfortable silence; broke only by the sounds of black flames dying out; settled between them. After few minutes, Itachi finally turned to look at the boy and noticed the bruise on his shoulder.

"You're hurt. Did you hesitate?" Naruto tensed, before looking at the ground.

"I don't want to kill people." He whispered, but loud enough for the man to hear. The raven let out a bitter chuckle.

"That's not something that someone who wants to be Hokage should say."

"We're not tools to kill humans!" Uchiha grabbed the strap of his vest and pulled him closer.

"It's truly a beautiful thing to say, but…" He leaned so close that their faces were almost touching. "Wasn't it you who said 'I don't care what happens to me as long as I can reach my goal'? This is the path you choose willingly, Naruto-kun." The teen gritted his teeth.

"I…" He started and pushed the man away. "… I won't go that low!" It was Itachi's turn to frown; remembering what things he was forced to do in order to get to the point he was in now.

All the people he killed.

All those missions he was ordered to fulfill.

Being forced to spy on his own family.

The death of his one and only friend.

"Who do you think you are?!" He roared and pushed the boy before him to the ground with his full force, half choking him in the process. Everyone stared in disbelieve at the scene, not being able to comprehend that Uchiha Itachi, the most stoic man they knew, lost control of himself.

"Your new status, and the book you found the other night… surely you're aware it's not for free." Cerulean eyes widened. "You will come tomorrow night, right?"

"Yes… of course."

--

"Ah!" Naruto gasped loudly.

"I suggest you don't move like that. Your arm might break." Itachi said putting more pressure on said limb and thrusting even harder and deeper.

_The bastard… just how many times did we do it?_ The blonde thought when he felt the teeth grazing the base of his nape.

"Ou…tch…" He muttered, trying to lift the mist of pleasure that was taking over his mind.

"Ah, ah… ahh!" Naruto screamed as he came for god knows which time this night.

He was just about to sigh in relieve, glad that it was finally over, when he felt a hand creeping down his side, before he was pulled up and seated on the pale legs. With eyes wide in shock, he looked at the raven.

"Oi, don't tell me you still want to do it?" The answer came without words when a second later he felt how the limp member that was still inside him twitched and began to harden again.

"Get a grip would y-" He was cut off by the forearm that blocked his lips.

"What an obstinate mouth." Itachi hissed and moved his hips upwards, thrusting harshly and brutally inside the blonde. Naruto's vision swayed from the pain and exhaustion. He was tired and he wanted nothing more than to sleep it all away.

Uchiha watched the teen angrily from the corner of his eyes. But the feeling changed into surprised one when he felt the wet droplets on his forearm and saw their origin. Cerulean eyes filled with nothing but pain.

--

"Your back Do-" Sasuke paused when he noticed how pale his friend seemed to be. But what shocked him even more, were the remains of tears on those normally tanned cheeks.

_What the hell made him cry…?_ He thought, but the answer came right away.

"I'm going to kill him!" The ex-Uchiha snarled moving to put his shoes on.

"Wait, wait! No need to complicate it even more!" Naruto said defensively, grabbing the boy's shoulder.

"I'm fine, seriously! It's just… tonight was kinda rough, so…" He trailed of when he saw the baffled and utterly confused expression on his friend's face. Without a word, Sasuke sat in the chair and stared of in space.

"I'm going to sleep. Don't wake me 'till noon or I'll seriously kill you." With that said he walked inside the bedroom and layed down on his bed.

_In the end, he took me eight times. A guy who lost his temper after such a thing… I can't believe I ended up thinking that he's cute._ He thought burying his face in the pillow. _I'm officially fucked through the brain._

That morning was the first time Naruto fell asleep thinking about Itachi. The first time he thought about him not as Sasuke's brother or even the Hokage, but about the Itachi _himself._

--

"So, kid, the words are whispering that you weren't on any date recently. Find someone to go steady?" Jiraya asked from his sitting position on the window frame.

"Steady? In a way, yes." Itachi answered recalling the last night he shared with the blond boy, especially the moment when Naruto did something that surprised him.

--

_The raven tensed when he felt the smaller hands creeping and joining behind his head._

"_It's the first time you put your arms around my back. What caused it?"_

"_Nothing special." Uzumaki answered with a strange voice. _

--

"So you're saying you found a lover, huh?" The Sannin's voice brought Uchiha back from his reminding.

"A lover? That's not it, Jiraya-san." The white haired man turned to look at him in confusion.

"If not lover then what?" Itachi smirked, grabbing another form to fill from the desk.

"A convenient mistress might fit in."

* * *

So, that's it for now. Hope you liked it ;) My next free day is sunday and tuesday, so I guess you can expect the next chapter of BG one of these days ;P

Well, there's really nothing to talk about, so... see ya! ;)


	4. Chapter 4

Yo! So, since today is my day off I decided to upload the new chapter ;) I'm hoping to update more frequently now, seeing that the worst week in my work is now officially over! ;D

BTW! You heard? About Kakashi gaiden! Ah! When I saw the preview the 'Chibi Carlita' within me was screaming 'Minato! Minato!' over and over for at least fifteen minutes, like a fangirl in heat! I was so... giddy and all! I'm seriously waiting SO MUCH for it! ;D It's kinda funny, you know? I mean, exactly how many times we saw Minato in manga? Three or four times? And yet I'm utterly in love with this character! The same's with Itachi. I'm really starting to believe that there's something VERY wrong with me :P

Anyway, on to the reviews! ;)

--

**salvor-chan:** Ok, so I would start praying, but I'm not really into God and all that stuff. So enlighten me with what exactly I got myself into, ok? ;D

And yes, I am a virgin in WRITING lemons ;D And yeah, who WOULDN'T want someone like Itachi for him/herself? ;D *gets dreamy again*

Is Ita using Naru? Hm, that's for me to know and for you to figure out ;)

Yeah, well, the dream was kinda khm, dirty ;P

About Kage: He's not my OC. He belongs to Kishimoto ;) Remember the chapter/episode when Sai gives Orochimaru the documents with ANBU profiles? In manga the first on the list is exactly Kage ;) That's what narutopedia said, though :P

Oh come on, only you reviewing is enough for me! ;) Though I must admit, I miss Peter dearly ;( Send him my regards, ok? ;D

--

**iscreamdrizzle:** 'Amazingly twisted as usual'? As in seriously? Are all of my stories so twisted? :P I hope it's a good thing anyway :P

--

**DazziO's:** Hehe, thanks! ;D I could tell you what doujin this is based on, but I think it will kinda, well, spoil the fun. I mean, knowing what to expect... it would be a boring read then. But! As promised in the beggining, I will announced the title of the doujin in the last chapter ;)

--

**Namikaze Naruko 14:** Mpreg, huh? I'm not planning to put one actually. I mean, it's kinda unbelivable for me (unless it's put and wrote in a really good manner) Sooo... no. I won't do that to Naruto :P

--

**MadMonki:** What dream? Eh, i thought it would be kinda obvious by the way Naruto thought about it. I mean all the rejecting stuff :P It was about him and Ita doing naughty naughty if it's still confusing :P

--

For those who still don't know:

"abc" - speaking

_ abc_ - thinking

_"abc"_ - flashbacks

Oh, and english is not my first language so do forgive for ever tiny mistake ;)

--

Without further ado, please enjoy the newest chapter ;)

* * *

**Previously on Of love and mistakes:**

"So you're saying you found a lover, huh?" The Sannin's voice brought Uchiha back from his reminding.

"A lover? That's not it, Jiraya-san." The white haired man turned to look at him in confusion.

"If not lover then what?" Itachi smirked, grabbing another form to fill from the desk.

"A convenient mistress might fit in."

* * *

"You've become good at kissing." Itachi said leaning again to capture those pink lips in another searing kiss. Naruto only twitched when he felt a hand creeping from his back and settling on his shoulder with a tight grip.

"Yeah, thanks to you." The blonde answered with a straight face, but the expression quickly shattered when another hand moved from his stomach to the line below the waistband of his pants.

"Wait! Not here-?" Naruto tried to stop the man, but Uchiha already pressed him against the front door to his chambers and slipped the orange blouse from the tanned shoulders with his left hand, while the right one unbuttoned his pants and slipped them off. In one fluid motion he entered the boy, keeping his grip securely under the teen's knees. Naruto closed his eyes in pain, not used to this kind of angle.

"Is this good?" Itachi asked in a mocking manner. The blonde answered him with the evilest look he could muster at the moment.

"Making such a face... surely you hadn't forgotten my knowledge of your weak points? If I'm going to hit there, I wonder how long you will be able to keep that expression up." And just as he said it, the raven moved Naruto's hips closer, raising the boy's knees higher and thrust in mercilessly. Uchiha's movements continued in the same manner, forcing the cries of pleasure out of the teen.

"AH!" The blonde screamed when Itachi's member hit the said earlier spot deeper than before. He grabbed the black fabric of man's shirt as if it was the last thing holding him to his sanity.

Charcoal eyes narrowed when, again, he felt those hands moving around his back and holding on to him for dear life. No matter how many times, this action alone always confused him.

Naruto buried his face in the pale shoulder, awaiting the much needed release he knew was closing in on him fast.

_Being forced to do it… I know it's terrible but… every time I remember his back from that time… I just can't push him away. Fuck!_ The blonde thought just as the first wave of orgasm shook his body.

"Let's not dirty the floor." Itachi said after few minutes, zipping up his pants.

"We will continue in bedroom." He said walking to the stairs and paused. "I assume you can walk on your own." The raven added, turning sideway to look at the fallen body near the door. Naruto rose to half-sitting position and whipped his mouth with the back of his hand and a frown on his face.

--

"Dobe, you sure you're alright? You're paler than usual." Sasuke said from his sitting position on the chair in the corner of his friend's bedroom. "You're supposed to turn in the report in three hours so try to sleep."

"I know, I know. Anyway, what are you reading?" Uzumaki asked, pointing at the book in the ex-Uchiha's hands. Sasuke blinked and hurriedly closed it with a blush on his face.

"T-Teme?" The blonde asked, surprised and suspicious at the action.

"It-it's nothing." The raven answered; his blush intensifying. With curiosity getting the better of him, Naruto jumped from the bed and in a quick motion grabbed the book from behind his friend.

"What the hell?!" Uzumaki screamed as soon as his eyes landed on the green cover with big yellow letters saying 'Icha Icha Tactics.' Sasuke's blush become even worse; so much that for a brief second Naruto actually wondered if the teen's head turned into Grand fireball technique.

"W-what?" Sasuke uttered, recovering from embarrassment. "You're used to it and I was curious, so…"

"Curious?" Naruto asked, trying to grasp at least a little sense of the others logic.

"Yes. Like for example, how does the kiss feel like?" Sasuke said with the adorable rosy color still gracing his cheeks.

"It's slimy and sticky. Besides we kissed back in the academy." The blonde half mused, remembering the past event. "But then again I guess it wasn't a real one." He added in afterthought after comparing their incident to the kisses he was receiving during his night visits in Hokage's Tower.

"You really have no dreams other than being the strongest ninja in the village." Sasuke said with a sigh, grabbing back the book.

"Look who's talking." Uzumaki shot back, before laying in the bed and rolling over to face the wall.

_Besides who would have those with your brother as a partner._ The blonde finished in his head.

_I wonder when was my first kiss anyway?_ Naruto mused, pulling the covers over himself. _I don't really remember much of when Itachi did me the first time, but… did he kiss me then? The next time I went to him?_ He let out a tired and frustrated sigh.

_Ah, I can't remember! Even though it was my first time!_

"Dobe…" Sasuke's voice cut through his wondering. "… you still didn't return that book." The raven said pointing at the object under the bed. Naruto sighed and picked it up.

"I'll bring it back the next time." The blonde said and opened it, looking through the pages, until he spotted something.

_Itachi's notes… Itachi's writing._ He thought tracing his finger on the scribed words.

_I don't really know anything about him. What kind of person is he really? Why his family is like that? How did he meet Kage and others? I know his sleeping face, but I don't know why he wanted to be Hokage so badly. We're doing this kind of thing, but I don't know anything about Itachi. What kind of life did he lead till now?_

--

_Damn, my legs are wobbly._ Naruto thought, putting his hand on the wall for the support.

_If someone finds me like this, there's no way in hell I can come up with excuse._ The blonde stated, putting a hand to his mouth when he felt the nausea coming on.

_I should return to my room, but I don't want Sasuke to find out. If he does, I'm sure he will run to Itachi screaming 'murder' all the way._ He concluded, trying his hardest not to fall in the middle of the corridor. It wouldn't look good to collapse inside the Hokage Tower. He staggered, walking slowly and unsteadily. Finally, he found a small, dark corridor and allowed his shaky legs to give in, collapsing on the spot.

"My head's spinning." The teen mumbled, leaning his back against a wall and putting his hand to the forehead.

_My body's hot but my sweat is cold._ He thought, hearing someone approach.

"Kage?" He asked; his eyes wide in surprise.

"Naruto-kun?" The man asked back, even more surprised by the situation. "What's wrong?"

_He's the only one who knows about the deal beside Sasuke._ Naruto thought, watching how the man kneeled next to him.

"Feeling bad?"

"Yesterday I went to Itachi. He's been kinda violent lately and…" Uzumaki trailed off, grabbing the strap of the man's ANBU vest. "I know it's not my place to say it, but there's no one else I can talk to about it." The teen moved even closer, allured by the heat the other body was producing.

"I'm sorry… I'm really sorry." He whispered just as the last thread of his consciousness snapped. Kage stared at the boy shocked, wondering when exactly he embraced him.

--

Itachi walked inside his living room and put the cloak loosely on the sofa with a tired sigh. Just then he spotted something small next to the said garment. Blinking, he picked it up and inspected the hair closely.

_Blonde? … Naruto's?_ The boy's name brought another wave of thoughts in his head.

_Why do you put your arms around my back? There is but a contract between us. Both of our hands are full, so we don't have time for anything else. Don't act as if there's affection between us. _The raven thought and gripped the silky thread tighter, watching at the same time as, thanks to the sudden blow of wind, a single picture fell from between the books.

_I'm positive you would be angry if you knew about it. You'd probably ask 'what the hell are you doing to a child?!'_ Itachi mused, sitting on the chair with a picture in his hand.

"I never once thought of him as a child. From the moment I first saw him. Treating him as such would bring nothing good about it." He paused and looked sideway. "No… only once I made the mistake to treat him like that. And this is the result."

_I was certain he wouldn't come anymore. I misjudged him as a child. That time, that moment… I believed I really hated him._ Itachi thought; recalling their last mission together. Especially Naruto's words.

"Don't laugh and say I'm the bigger brat, Shisui." The raven said, putting the man's picture next to him and leaning his head on his bent up knee with a long sigh.

"I'm an… idiot."

--

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, finding himself in the unfamiliar place. He looked to the right, the source of the sound that woke him and spotted another blond haired man.

"Kage…" The teen breathed.

"You slept rather well. The reason for your collapse is not only last night. It would appear that you also caught a cold."

"Sorry." Uzumaki whispered, cringing at the soreness of his throat.

"You should take your time to rest." Kage answered, sitting at the table and picking up the brush to fill in reports.

_This person knows more about Itachi than I do. Fighting by his side for a long time and all._ Naruto thought watching the man.

"What kind of person is Itachi?" The blonde asked after a moment.

Kage stopped writing and looked at the teen from the corner of his eyes, before looking back at the papers.

"He doesn't talk about his private life so I don't know him as a person. But I do know him as a shinobi."

"I don't even know what kind of ninja he is." Naruto said with a bitter chuckle.

"The first time I was under his command was eight years ago during top secret mission in the Lightning Country."

"It was bad there, huh?" The teen cut in, unable to suppress his curiosity.

"Yes, it was. All the while I kept thinking that shinobi are truly pitiful existences. Back then I was more of a taijutsu user, but he… he himself was considered a weapon. Under the orders he killed people with unmatched accuracy using his eyes."

"So, what happened?"

"After that, we were paired up again on different missions. Many people died or their fate changed. I was one of them. He also changed. It's just…"

"Just?" Naruto pressed.

"The image of his back from that first time burned itself in my mind and won't go away." Cerulean eyes widened at that statement; recalling the image from the last mission.

"He seems like a hard to approach person, but I believe that in truth he's really shy. A kind of person always fighting on his own. I fight on his side to understand him. It may be selfish of me, but that's how it is." Kage said with a serious face, not looking at his companion.

"Kage, do you… love him?" Naruto asked, not really knowing what possessed him to do so. Instead of answering, the man got up from the chair and sat next to him on the bed, putting his hand on the teen's eyes.

"Sleep. You feeling better are only due to the medicine." With a sigh, Naruto closed his eyes and relaxed.

--

_Blood._

_It smells of blood._

Naruto thought looking around the ruins of something that was once considered a village.

"The best way to extinguish the smell of blood is to burn the body." Itachi said looking at the pile of bleeding corpses. Naruto looked to his right to see the man, before he vanished and reappeared behind him. The teen felt the hot breath grazing his cheek and felt the hand moving down and under his vest.

"Wait, Itachi! Here?" Instead of answering, the raven grazed the skin presented to him with his teeth. Naruto gasped at the sensation.

"You're… a little strange…" He said, with a blush rapidly spreading on his face.

"Why?" Uchiha asked, continuing his action with his teeth on the boy's neck and shoulder, slowly sliding down the offending garment.

"You're… somehow gentler." The blonde breathed just as he was pressed against the hard and firm body behind him. He watched how pale hands moved over his clothed abdomen and under his pants, squeezing the thing they were looking for. Naruto moaned at the sensation those massaging limbs were giving him. He was so lost that he almost hadn't notice when the raven pressed his chest to the ground.

"No, Itachi…!" Uzumaki called when he felt the hard and ready member pressing against his entrance.

_This position!_ Naruto thought scared. _I can't put my hands around your back like this! _

_--  
_

The teen woke up startled, sitting and breathing heavily.

"Damn." He muttered putting a hand to his forehead.

_That was the worst kind of dream._ He thought before laying down to calm himself.

--

"Are you sure you're alright?" Kage asked. Both he and Naruto were standing in his doorway.

"Yeah. I got medicine and slept a lot. I don't want Sasuke-teme to worry too much." The teen answered with a reassuring smile. The man wasn't fazed by it one bit.

"Naruto-kun, about me loving or not loving Itachi-san…" Kage started, gaining the boy's attention. "… I think it's different kind of love than you think. You may not know it, but there are different kinds of love among us, adults. But there is one thing I will tell you; I'm jealous of you." Cerulean eyes widened.

"I know why Itachi-san takes caution with his bed partners, but why didn't he choose me?" Kage said and sighed a heavy sigh. "Maybe it means he just doesn't trust me enough."

"That's not it!" Uzumaki cut in sharply. "It's not that he doesn't trust you or anything. Between him and me… it's just a deal. I'm his dog and he takes care of something for me in exchange. He knows I can't turn back, that's all there is to it!"

"But still, right now, you are closer to him than anyone else." The man said and his words were carried away by the wind.

"You know Kage… adults shouldn't tell us, kids their real motives, huh?" Naruto asked with a half-smile.

"You might be right. Sleep well, Naruto-kun."

"Yeah, see you."

--

_So Kage is also lonely. Even though it seems like he's always with Itachi, he thought such things and fought through all by himself._ Naruto thought walking up the stairs to Hokage monument. He didn't really feel like going home just yet.

_That bastard is also on his own, afraid to let go and making me his partner while ignoring those really important to him. Is becoming strong and mature really so lonely?_ He paused upon realizing something.

_Isn't it the same for me though? I thought I could tell Sasuke everything but there are things I just can't tell him either. Ah, I think I understand now._ The blonde concluded, resuming his walking and stopping at the edge of the rocky mountain, looking at the village bathed in the last rays of sun.

"In the end, we're really on our own, huh?"

* * *

So, how was it this time? Like it? Hate it? I'm eagerly awaiting your opinions! ;D

With nothing much to say, I guess that's all for now.

Hopefully see you soon! ;)


	5. Chapter 5

Yo! So, here's the new chapter for you to enjoy ;) It's kinda packed with feeling and all that (at least I hope it is ;P) Let's leave it at that and go straight for reviews:

--

**salvor-chan:** Yes, I know what you mean with BG and ItaNaru :P It's hard not to :P And well, not to spoil anything, but there will be a lemon :P If you haven't read the newest chapter yet than you better do it, especially the preview for the next one ;D

About Naruto and his arms around Itachi: It's like he wants to taunt him that way, knowing that showing affection in something that's suppose to be only a deal is angering Ita :P And don't worry. They won't fall in love with each other... yet ;P

The story will have 8, maybe 9 chapters only. As I said in the beggining it's based on the doujin, so yeah ;D Although I altered few scenes in this chapter for my liking :P

Yeah, yeah I remember your review from BG when you called Ita stupid! ;D My jaw slackened at that, seriously! ;D

I love you too salvor! ;) But sorry, I love Peter even more ;D

Yeah, the chapter was shorter because, well, I didn't really feel like writing too much actually. I hope this one will compensate for it ;)

And about Naruto's thinking: He thinks that the older, wiser and stronger you become, the lonelier you get. That's it in short :P

--

**DazziO's:** Lol! xD I never thought about Naru and Sasuke practicing the kissing when I was writing it. But it cracked me up ;D Naru ending up with Sasuke? Not happening :P Not with me at least, and not in this story :P I love ItaNaru too much for it to happen ;) And a wise decision with waiting! Believe me, not knowing is sometimes a good thing ;)

--

**Jehovah's Witness: **No, Kage is not Shisui. Shisui died in this story, well, not exactly died but was murdered (and not by Itachi!) Kage is Kage and that's all :P I explained him in my earlier AN :P Skin the weasel? I'd like to see that one ;D

--

"abc" - talking

_ abc _- thinking

_"abc" _- flashacks

Without further ado please enjoy the newest chapter ;)

* * *

**Previously on Of love and mistakes:**

_So Kage is also lonely. Even though it seems like he's always with Itachi, he thought such things and fought through all by himself._ Naruto thought walking up the stairs to Hokage monument. He didn't really feel like going home just yet.

_That bastard is also on his own, afraid to let go and making me his partner while ignoring those really important to him. Is becoming strong and mature really so lonely?_ He paused upon realizing something.

_Isn't it the same for me though? I thought I could tell Sasuke everything but there are things I just can't tell him either. Ah, I think I understand now._ The blonde concluded, resuming his walking and stopping at the edge of the rocky mountain, looking at the village bathed in the last rays of sun.

"In the end, we're really on our own, huh?"

* * *

"Get the hell out, Danzou." The prisoner said, looking at his visitor from behind the bars. "The trial is supposed to start tomorrow."

"I want you to break out of jail."

"What do you want in return?"

"I want you to take a man's life."

"His name?" Danzou answered and the man inside the cell chuckled darkly.

"What is so funny?" The councilor asked; his visible eye narrowed.

"You are…" The man started, slowly raising his head. "… the second one to ask this of me. Just a while ago, another person…" He trailed off with a smirk. Danzou was standing speechless; not expecting someone else to have the same idea as him.

"He seems to be quite hated. Or is it envy?" The prisoner asked tauntingly.

"That man, who was it?" Danzou questioned, avoiding the answer.

"You think I'd tell you? If I do, I should also tell your name the other person too. No matter how I see it, if the other party tells the superior about the deal… that's more than enough to do the other one in." He raised his shackled hands and put his head on them with a dark laugh.

"Ah, whose side should I choose? Who should I tell? Probably the person who lets me escape… and who's not going to forget to reward me for killing."

--

"_Uzumaki Naruto, Hokage wishes to speak with you this afternoon in his private chambers."_

"_Dobe, don't stress yourself and hurry to get there. I don't think it matters if you don't go there every time."_

The words from two hours ago echoed in the blonde's head while he was walking quickly through the village streets to the Hokage Tower.

_Ah, why did I come here again?_ He thought, standing in front of his destination. With a sigh he knocked on the wooden door twice and took a step back.

_It's weird that the bastard gets even more violent in bed lately. It seems as if he's… desperate?_ He thought watching how the door opened, revealing the raven haired man.

_I'm the one who choose this. At that time I had a choice. I'm sure that somehow I could take care of Sasuke without his help. I'm the one who choose this._ Naruto concluded in his head while walking inside the apartment.

_It's true that I could ask no one for help with it, but… I guess that's how people continue to live; by accumulating those choices one by one… on their own. _He finished his musing and looked at the man, at the same time unzipping his vest.

"Let's do it quickly. I've got plans for later." Naruto said professionally, as if they were discussing some business. Itachi looked at him sideway, with anger shining intensely in his eyes.

"Well then, as you wish." Uchiha replied and in a quick motion, grabbed the teen by the collar of his fishnet shirt and pushed him backward. Uzumaki gasped loudly when his back came harshly in contact with the bed. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, even more so when he suddenly felt the tongue probing inside his mouth.

Itachi wasted no time, just as requested, and kissed the boy as soon as he was above him. Their tongues pushed against each other and, as usual, the battle was quickly won by the older man. Not once leaving the pink and plump lips, Uchiha pulled the teen's shirt up, exposing the chest and in one fluid motion pulled the pants down. As soon as his target was visible, Itachi unzipped his own pants and released the fully erected member, which was quickly showed deep inside Naruto.

The blonde couldn't stop the loud cry of pain by being entered without any kind of preparation beforehand. And it fuelled his irritation even further when he watched how Itachi lazily pulled his own shirt off.

"You bastard." The teen breathed. "You're getting undressed after putting it inside me?" He inhaled sharply when the member inside him moved because of its owner, who turned to throw his shirt away.

"Isn't it the other way around normally?" Naruto added and moaned loudly when the raven drew back a little to discard his pants and thrust hard back as soon as his legs were freed.

--

_At first I embraced his body to hurt him, to push him away._ Itachi thought moving his hips back and forth flawlessly. _But this child did not draw back and came again and again to be eaten by me. _

"You ba-bastard, stop shaking me while undress-" Uchiha grabbed the forgotten fishnet on the teen's chest and drew it up and off of him.

_Ironic that the feelings, that arose at that time were awe and respect, as well as selfishness that I could do this to him whenever I wanted. _

"Itachi!" Naruto screamed when the raven pulled his legs higher, raising the tanned hips and thrusting even deeper than before. The man didn't hear him.

_Right now, I'm embracing him to hurt him again. That time when he was so proud I couldn't help myself in my anger._ He thought thrusting at a steady pace. Naruto, sensing that something wasn't quite right, cracked one eye open and looked at the man. Uchiha was gazing right back at him, but the blonde noticed that he wasn't actually _looking_. His eyes were unfocused, as if he was somewhere else. Slowly, he raised his arms and gently put them on the pale back, pulling the man down to him. Charcoal eyes blinked and focused; slight frown grazing the raven's face.

_Don't act like there's some affection…_ Itachi thought grabbing the offending arms and maneuvering them in a way that ended up with Naruto laying flat on his chest, with his hips raised in the air.

_You can't… put your arms around by back like this._ Uchiha thought and buried his aching member to the hilt, ignoring the cry of pain emitted from the body beneath him.

Naruto tried to raise himself on his shaking arms, but the pleasure as well as the hand on his back prevented him from doing so. He knew what the gesture and that position meant. Itachi was showing him that no matter what he's the dominant one; both in the bedroom and outside of it. But Uzumaki wouldn't have any of it.

Slowly he moved his right hand down and put it on the paler one next to his head, interlocking their fingers. He saw how the man's muscles tensed, before his arm was raised and sharply drew back.

"Ouch!" Naruto cried loudly, when Itachi grabbed his other limb in the same manner and, keeping him by the elbows thrust in deeper and more brutal than ever.

"Ah, sto-! No! Itachi!" The blonde called, pleading the man to let go of him. The feeling of his arms almost breaking and the tight knot in his stomach were making his vision sway. But Uchiha's only answer was quickening his pace even more; hitting that single spot in the teen with perfect accuracy.

"…chi, Itachi. Itachi! ITACHI!" Naruto screamed the man's name, a white blinding light exploding behind his eyes when the release shook his body harder than ever.

Thanks to the muscles clenching tightly around his member, Uchiha followed seconds after, filling the teen with his essence. With labored breathing, he released the boy's arms and watched the nearly unconscious being with something unpleasant swelling in his chest.

--

Kage was sitting at the table, gazing at the red sky outside the window and patting his pet when there was a knock on his door.

_At such a time? Who?_ He thought getting up and going to the door, with his dog following closely behind him. He opened them and blinked in surprise at the person he saw.

"Sai? What's wrong?" Kage asked and the ROOT member shifted uncomfortably.

"I have something to tell you. If my superior finds out it will be bad. Can I come in?" Without a word the blonde stepped aside allowing his guest inside.

--

_It's really boring without the Dobe here._ Sasuke thought also looking outside the window. The sky painted in crimson somehow gave him unpleasant feeling. Although it was a nice distraction from what he was feeling merely ten minutes ago.

_I bought this gay book to find out what Aniki and Dobe are doing. And while reading I imagined them doing it together and…_ He thought looking around what was once considered Naruto's bedroom. The place was now tarnished, walls and floor cracked and decorated with holes here and there. With a sigh Sasuke plopped down on the bed.

"I'll have to fix it till he comes back." The ex-Uchiha murmured, wondering how exactly he's going to do it.

_And what's worst is not the fact that they're doing it, but the fact that Naruto is acting as if it doesn't bother him at all. I know that he won't let me worry, so I go along with it, but…_ He paused his musing and looked at the first specks of night on the sky.

… _maybe I'm the one who's making him remember the worst?_

_--_

_Can't sleep_. Itachi thought from his laying position. Something took away his tiredness, but he had no idea what. For some bizarre reason he was wide awake. With a quiet sigh, he sat up and put on his grey fishnet shirt, followed by pants. Just as he was done, Naruto entered the bedroom to grab his vest. Uchiha noticed that his hair were still wet, meaning he just got out of the shower. They eyed each other for a moment, before the blonde turned swiftly, ready to leave the room.

"I heard from Kage that you wish to leave the village with Sasuke." The raven's voice cut through the thick silence that bloomed in the air. "Surely you're aware that it's impossible. However if you come to me tomorrow I believe it can be arranged."

"How bothersome." Naruto sighed and if the situation was any different he would've laugh at how Shikamaru-like he sounded.

But reality was harsh and the teen wanted nothing more than to get out of the devil's lair, so he grabbed the door handle and paused, feeling strange, tingling sensation. Few seconds later the doors were cut in half. Itachi's eyes widened slightly and he quickly drew behind the bed, ready to take action as soon as the opponent was in his sight.

Naruto too, quickly jumped away, just as the oh-so-familiar Water Dragon Jutsu flooded inside the room.

Somehow he managed not to get a direct hit and when the water died out he saw the silhouette of the attacker in the doorway.

"I thought you were the Hokage. What a pity, only because you moved." The man paused to let out a dark laugh. "However, it seems I wasn't off by much." Cerulean eyes widened, looking around the place frantically. Finally he spotted a few strands of black ink hairs along with the head and the rest of the body under the wardrobe that was knocked on him due to the force of the surprised attack.

"Itachi!" Naruto called rushing to his side and seeing that he was unconscious. "You…! Why at such a time?! And you call yourself Hokage!" The blonde half-screamed, but received no answer in return. From the corner of his eyes, he saw that the man raised his hand to perform another attack. Without really knowing what he was doing, the teen's body moved on its own and shielded the raven from their attacker and blocked the few water strings that followed seconds after.

"Itachi you idiot!" Naruto called turning back and shaking the Uchiha. "Come on, you're not going to die from this. Isn't there something you need to do?" Uzumaki asked, shaking him even more.

"Itachi!" He screamed, with something akin to pleading in his voice when he noticed the chakra gathered in the attacker's hand.

_I should just leave him._ The blonde thought and his heart gave a particularly hard beat.

_This man's target is probably just Itachi. Considering the situation I'm in, taking my own safety as priority would be a good thing to do._ Naruto thought pulling the unconscious man from under the furniture.

_If he dies here, someone else they choose as Hokage could help me with Sasuke's case. It should be no problem asking that person. Who wouldn't want to use and humiliate the 'demon' after all?_ Subconsciously he squeezed Itachi's arm tighter.

_It's a lie that it doesn't hurt. There's no way for a guy to be fine after being fucked into oblivion by another guy. I hated it to the point of wanting to die. But most of all I hated him, who did it to me with an expressionless face. _He moved the raven on his side, checking quickly if the man was injured somewhere. Finding nothing he sighed quietly in relieve.

_Being bound to him… something inside me was breaking and I wanted to run away. But…_ He paused when the image of Uchiha watching the black flames with his back turn to him entered his mind.

_In him, on that back… there's dirtier and clearer path mixed into one. He's wearing memories of so many people on it. I'm sure he's always on his ow- _Cerulean eyes widened.

_On his own…_ He thought, remembering his musing from few nights ago.

"Fu… ck… Fuck!" He said desperately under his nose, when the realization hit him.

_I can't… pull back the arms that I put around your back anymore._ Was his final thought. Finding his resolve, he turned back to the attacker who was watching the scene with mild interest.

"You're not going to run away?" The man asked, pleased that he'll be able to toy with his prey a little longer.

"Sorry, but… there's this stupid deal I have." Naruto answered grabbing the spare kunai from inside his sleeve. The attacker snapped his fingers, sending another series of strings at him.

"Doton: Doryūheki." The blond called, placing his hands on the floor. Instantly, a wall of the quickly hardening mud rose up in the air. Uzumaki breathed in relieve, but the feeling quickly changed when the strings cut the jutsu to pieces.

_Shit! I need something better!_ Naruto thought and using the dust in the air to his advantage, he created a Shadow Clone and sent him at the attacker. The man realized it and tried to shoot down the fake body, but the clone maneuver in the air and managed to cut the man's right palm. As soon as he landed he was pierced with the set of strings and disappeared with a 'poof'. Naruto looked at him with a little satisfaction; that man was huge and by the way he was releasing those strings, the blonde figured he also has a large amount of chakra.

The attacker looked at the way his blood was dripping on the floor from his open wound and with a snarl he send three times more water strings at the teen. Uzumaki, expecting such a reaction was ready to counter it.

"Fūton: Kami Oroshi." The vortex of wind descended down from the air right in front of him, blocking and frosting all of the strings, sending them flying. Unfortunately few of them managed to break through the jutsu and cut off few of the blonde hairs as well as injured his cheek. The action forced him back and Naruto landed, accidentally hitting Itachi's tight with his elbow. Few of his cut strands landed on the pale face.

"It's hard isn't it? Protecting someone while fighting? The next time you try to dodge, the Hokage will be split in half." Uzumaki answered him with a narrowed glare.

--

The raven stirred when something tickled his nose. He heard noises and someone talking. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see what was going on. As soon as he did, charcoal orbs widened when they saw the silhouette of the blonde in a defensive position with his back turned to him. When he saw the attacker raising his hand with fingers ready to snap for the next turn, his instincts kicked in. Quickly, Uchiha sat up and put one arm around the teen, pulling him flat against his chest.

"Itachi!" Naruto shrieked angrily in surprise, but the raven was sure he heard something similar to relieve in his voice.

"Water string shinobi? What a troublesome opponent." Uchiha said, allowing his chakra to envelope them like a blanket; preventing the water attack from touching them. The blonde watched how the strings dissolved few centimeters in front of his face. He also felt the end of his sleeve burning, but paid it no mind. There were more important things to take care of.

"Where's the emergency scroll?" The teen asked; briefly wondering why the hell no one came here yet, considering the ruckus he made earlier.

"Under the shelf." Itachi answered not once leaving his eyes from the man.

"You're so impossible!" The teen retorted.

"Be quiet." He tighten his grip to move the boy closer to himself, before leaning in and pressing his lips to the tanned ear. "I need you to buy me some time, Naruto-kun. Or do you want to die?" He whispered. Uzumaki grabbed the arm holding him with his own hand.

"Got it." He said sharply and threw the limb off of himself before charging straight on at the attacker.

"Until I see Sasuke free… I won't die!" Taken aback by the action, the man wasn't able to create new strings in time. Seconds later he felt the cold kunai blade pressed tightly to his throat. With a snarl, he looked down at the boy's face.

"With me this close, you can't use your jutsu anymore, right?" Naruto said with satisfaction. "Unless you intend to cut yourself in half too. So… what are you going to do?" His question was answered few seconds later, when the attacker pulled the sword from his back and moved it in a swift motion.

"Uwah!" The blonde breathed moving out of the weapon's way.

"I'm not only relaying on ninjutsu, else I wouldn't be able to kill the strongest." The man said and stepped on one foot, ready to dash and cut the vulnerable prey. But his actions were put to a halt when a hand grabbed his sword, preventing him from moving. Shocked and furious beyond believe, the man wasn't sure what to do from this point. But Naruto thought his actions thoughtfully. He let go of the blade and in a flash made hand seals.

"Ita-" He wanted the raven to stay back, but Itachi was already pressed to his back, with his pale arms in front of the teen. Not missing a beat, the blonde put his hands in the last seal form and blinked when the raven put his own on top of his.

"Fūton: Daitoppa!" Naruto called and at the same time Uchiha snapped his fingers, creating a small spark of fire that ignited the previous jutsu. The blonde's attack circled their opponent, closing him in a burning trap.

"Your ninjutsu is based on the infinite amount of water from the air. Ninety seven percent of water in this room evaporated. Can you still make your threads?" Itachi asked, moving his arms back to stand next to Naruto. Not that the boy noticed, too stuck up in processing the whole thing that just happened.

"Ah, it would appear that the reinforcements are here." The raven said, sensing his guard who appeared behind the attacker few seconds later, with a sharp blade pressed to his throat.

"Resistance is futile. This building is surrounded, you can't flee." Kage said from under his white ANBU mask.

--

"You… knew I was going to use Daitoppa?" Naruto asked, still not really believing it. His god damn back was all Itachi saw from his sitting position so how the hell he knew was beyond the blonde's knowledge.

"Of course. Knowing advantages, weaknesses and compatibilities of my nature elements with others are basics for a shinobi." The teen snorted.

_Like now's the time for lectures!_ He thought.

"Still, that's not the answer to my question." Uchiha quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh, it isn't? Let me ask you a question then, Naruto-kun. Knowingly or not, you formed three extra seals for this jutsu, to lower its force. I'm sure that as a user, you are aware of the possibility of it being ignited by any kind of fire jutsu. It is me, not you, who should be asking 'how did you know I was going to use it?'" Cerulean eyes widened and for the first time, their owner was render speechless. Naruto truly had no idea what happened between him wanting to use the Daitoppa to blast the enemy away and the moment the raven pressed himself to his back.

Itachi was quite amused by the teen's reaction. So much that he actually chuckled when the boy left his bedroom to go downstairs. Though the playful feeling quickly vanished when Uchiha took good look around at all that mess and spotted a single picture of his friend Shisui laying on the floor, half hidden under the book. For a brief second, the image of Naruto's back flashed before his eyes.

_What am I doing?_ He thought, putting a hand to his mouth.

--

"We still need to investigate the room, so please do not fix it." Kage said to his superior two hours after the incident.

"Where should I sleep, then?" Itachi asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Don't worry." The female voice said and a few seconds later a pink haired kunoichi appeared from behind the corner. "I'll have you working until the morning." The way she said it, with that overly sweet voice made the blonde's insides cringle. He knew all too well what kind of hell was hidden behind it.

"I'm intrigue, however." Uchiha's voice cut in. His attention turned to his guard. "With all the barriers around my chambers how did you know about the attack?"

"Hokage-sama, you have a lot of enemies, even inside Konoha. That much is a fact and you know it. But it still seems there are not only enemies." Kage answered, with a light quirk at the end of his lips. He could allow himself to smile since his mask was securely in place.

"Ah, yes. That is indeed true." Itachi answered with a faraway tone in his voice.

"Naruto-kun, I will ask you tomorrow what happened so you can go now." The blonde ANBU member said.

"Yeah, ok." The teen answered. He stood still for a moment, as if debating something, before he put his vest on and turned left, ready to leave through the emergency door.

Charcoal eyes watched him go, before Uchiha made his decision.

"Excuse me for a moment." He said to no one in particular, though he was sure Kage heard him. Quickly, he walked upstairs, grabbed something, returned downstairs and opened the main door just in time to see the mop of blond hair passing by.

"Naruto-kun." He called in a half-whisper. The boy turned to see the raven, nudging him to come closer with a wave of his hand.

"What is it now? Need help with paperwork?" The blonde asked stepping on the stairs.

"Take this." Uchiha said presenting him with a scroll. "I wanted to give it to you when you come tomorrow." Naruto took the item and opened it. After reading the content of it his eyes widened.

"Eh, but…"

"The price for this…" Itachi cut him off. "… is my life." The teen wasn't sure what to say. True, at first he thought he protected the man because of their deal concerning Sasuke. But in the end, his raven haired friend didn't cross his mind even once.

"Take your time to rest with my brother." Uchiha's voice brought him back and Naruto couldn't help but smile a little at the peaceful expression on the raven's face. What he did next shocked both of them and Naruto swore he had no idea what possessed him to do it.

"Itachi, come here." The blonde too, motioned with his hand. Feeling rather curious as to what the boy was up to, Uchiha leaned in closer with a questioning look. As soon as he was within reach, Naruto stood on his tiptoes and pressed his lips to the pale cheek with a quiet 'chuu'. Charcoal eyes widened and Itachi was frozen in place from shock.

"See you, Bastard Hokage!" Uzumaki chirped happily before dashing away. Uchiha watched him go with a surprised expression.

"What a gaudy thing to do…" He whispered; his eyes softening. A change that didn't go unnoticed by Kage.

--

"Dobe, here's your food." Sasuke said sitting next to his friend under the tree. Naruto looked up from the book with an exhausted but sparkling expression.

"Thanks." He said and took the food, devouring it in an instant.

"Despite the worn out state you're in, you seem somehow happier." Sasuke voiced his thoughts out loud.

"Eh, if faf so?" The blonde asked with his mouth full. The ex-Uchiha nodded in confirmation.

"Did something happen?" He asked, but the question never reached the blonde's ears. The teen was too lost in his thoughts, unaware that his finger was tracing the small notes scribed by Itachi.

_I'm sure… Because humans live on their own, because they're always on their own… If they are confronted with at least a little bit of gentleness, their hearts are touched like this._ He thought and smiled fondly while tracing the small note with the tip of his finger.

_I'm sure that's how people's hearts start growing closer bit by bit._

* * *

And that's all for now :P Hope you like it. Now, here's the description of jutsu used in this chapter:

--

_**Doton: Doryūheki:** (_Earth Release: Earth Style Wall) This jutsu creates a protective wall of earth.

--

_**Fūton: Kami Oroshi:** (_Wind Release: Godly Wind from the Mountain) This technique creates a vortex of wind to blast at a target.

--

_**Fūton: Daitoppa:** (_Wind Release: Great Breakthrough) This technique creates a large explosion of wind from the user's location, easily leveling everything in its path. A variation of the technique involves a smaller blast of wind which gets ignited with flame.

--

_**Fire Release: Small Fire Stream**_ (Technique used by Itachi to ignite the Daitoppa) Releases a small short ranged stream of flame at the opponent, causing them to collapse. This move requires no hand seals.

--

All this info is from Naruto wikia. Feel free to check it if you'd like.

That's all I guess :P

See you soon! ;)


	6. Chapter 6

*peaks from a corner* Um... hi? Ok, ok I'm absolutelu, terribly and deeply sorry for not updating for so long. But if you knew my situation you wouldn't be surprised. Seriously, I'm in deep shi* right now. There's nothing but troubles, troubles and even more troubles at work. Which is why I wasn't able to concentrate enough to write something. So why the change? Because I'm resigning and changing jobs, so please bear with me till the end of the month ok? After that everything should be much better than before.

As for Black Guardian, I will try to update it in two weeks from now. It took practically all I have to simply write this chapter, which, mind I remind you, is based on a doujin. So imagine how much I need to concentrate and focus to write a single chap of BG :/

I hope you will like this chapter, even though it's not the longest one I ever wrote.

And... I kinda hoped you missed me at least a bit... so, yeah.

--

"abc" - talking

_"abc" _- radio talking

_abc_ -thinking

--

Without further ado, please enjoy the chapter to the fullest ;)

* * *

**Previously on Of love and mistakes:**

"Dobe, here's your food." Sasuke said sitting next to his friend under the tree. Naruto looked up from the book with an exhausted but sparkling expression.

"Thanks." He said and took the food, devouring it in an instant.

"Despite the worn out state you're in, you seem somehow happier." Sasuke voiced his thoughts out loud.

"Eh, if faf so?" The blonde asked with his mouth full. The ex-Uchiha nodded in confirmation.

"Did something happen?" He asked, but the question never reached the blonde's ears. The teen was too lost in his thoughts, unaware that his finger was tracing the small notes scribed by Itachi.

_I'm sure… Because humans live on their own, because they're always on their own… If they are confronted with at least a little bit of gentleness, their hearts are touched like this._ He thought and smiled fondly while tracing the small note with the tip of his finger.

_I'm sure that's how people's hearts start growing closer bit by bit._

* * *

"H-hey you!" The guard called looking up at the pair of so-called intruders.

"Sorry, it's too far to the front gate!" Naruto said jumping down from the wall.

"And we're already late." Sasuke added following suit.

"But-"

"You can complain to the Hokage!" The blonde called while landing on one of the roofs, before dashing again.

--

"You're quite out of breath." The ANBU said looking at the duo that just stormed inside the Hokage Tower.

"Ah, Kage. Is the bastard here?" Uzumaki asked between intakes of air.

"He's confined to the office by Haruno-san." Both teens gulped loudly, wondering if it was alright to go in there right now. On the other hand it's not like they had a choice. Itachi allowed them to leave under the condition to report seven days later at noon. However…

"You're eight minutes late." Hokage's voice said as soon as they entered the office.

"Yo! How come you're working so hard?" Naruto asked instead, flashing his female teammate a toothy grin.

"It's the end of the year. I must make sure that all of the paperwork considering the Hospital is done." Sakura said putting another set of papers in front of the raven. Naruto could have sworn that he saw something between helplessness and irritation in those charcoal orbs.

"Is that so? Then I guess our talk will have to wait a little." Uzumaki said in a 'I-don't-really-care' kind of voice. And again, something akin to hope flashed in the man's eyes.

"Haruno-san, it is noon. I believe it appropriate to take a little break." Itachi said nonchalantly, trying not to jump and dash out of the room he was confine to since early morning. Emerald orbs eyed him warily, before Sakura sighed and put all of the papers down.

"I suppose you're right, Hokage-sama. But! Be back in thirty minutes."

Naruto and Sasuke watched the scene in a quiet surprise, wondering who exactly was the head of the village here.

"Understood." Uchiha said in affirmative, taking off his official robe and leaving himself in the typical jounin uniform.

"Well then, I'm going to Kakashi. He said he would help me practice." Sasuke said leaving first.

"Let's go, Naruto-kun." Itachi said while both off them took off at their own pace.

"Treat me!" The blonde called happily.

"Pay for yourself." The man replied. Naruto faked a frown.

"Shouldn't an adult pay for a child in such a situation?" Itachi walked out of the building and looked at his companion.

"I won't treat you like a child anymore." Cerulean eyes blinked at that, before they settled on a determined expression.

"Oh! Then better take me to a good one!" Uzumaki said and they resumed their walking; this time in silence.

_In the end… I believe I was jealous of him_. Itachi thought. _Being in the same, no, even worse position, he still claims to be untainted. I am jealous of that._

_Me, covering my hands in blood to raise my status and to please my father. You, who sells his body to save an important person. Even though we're both dirtied in the same manner, you alone still claim to be pure. It made me so angry that I truly wanted to thoroughly abuse you._ The Uchiha thought looking at the blonde from the corner of his eyes.

_But I believe I understand now. To achieve our goals, we choose a part of ourselves that we are ready to willingly give up and a part that we aren't. That is the only difference._ He paused his musing and opened the door to the restaurant.

_We both act as if we didn't care. How much can one person give up? Going only as far as people can go… As long as one does not cross that last line and sells oneself it should be no problem. _He let Naruto inside and stopped near the chair to take his vest off.

_The only things that is different is what burdens us. Only our dirty spots are different. In reality, I am sure that we are very much alike. _

"Oh my, it's been a while Itachi-kun." An older woman said with a soft smile gracing her features. Upon hearing the name the other guests as well as personnel looked in their direction.

"Oh wow, I haven't seen you here for quite some time 'Tachi-kun." One of the girls practically purred the raven's name. Naruto quirked an eyebrow at that.

"You're quite well known here, '_Tachi-kun."_ The blonde said, trying to mimic the one speaking before.

"Do you want me to introduce you?" Itachi asked with quite a smug look in his eyes.

"She's Martha. I met with her a couple of times due to my parent's request. The short haired one is Sophie and the one next to her, with brilliant brown hair is Josephine. Also-"

"Enough." Naruto groaned laying face down on the table; admitting his defeat. Itachi couldn't help but let out a tiny smirk on his lips. Uzumaki was actually quite shocked that someone like bastard Hokage dated someone before. But above all else, he was pleasantly surprised that the man he considered as a stoic and serious, had such a nice, warmer and easy side to him.

"Do you know what you want?" Uchiha asked the boy, snapping him from his thoughts. He watched how Naruto eyed the menu and then looked back at him.

"Any recommendation?"

"Vegetable doria."

"Vegetables, huh?" Uzumaki thought skeptically, before sighing in resignation. "Might as well try it. Miss can I order it?"

Itachi watched the boy placing his order before doing the same.

_Something like this might not be bad. The relationship with him is based on common interests. If I stay by this contract I won't have to worry too much. In addition there is also the comfort of being with a man. He's also a person I can trust to a point. We resemble each other and above all it's comfortable. If I think like that, this arrangement is pretty proficient. _

"I'll take this." The raven said before looking at his companion.

"Naruto-kun, the menu." The boy blinked and looked at the card he was still holding.

"Ah, here." He said and passed it to Itachi. While doing so, their fingers brushed against each other.

"Something's wrong?" Uchiha asked seeing how the teen's eyes suddenly widened.

"No, it's noth…" Naruto trailed off and stared at the man blankly.

_I touched him with my gloved hand… so why did I think that it felt hot?_ The blond thought squeezing his hand under the table.

"So… what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Itachi asked, changing his tone into slightly professional one.

"Ah, I thought about going out to travel." Naruto said sipping on his tea.

"I see. It is true that you were a lot in the village lately." The raven answered nonchalantly. Blonde eyebrow twitched before the owner got up and grabbed the other by the collar.

"That's because whenever I even _think_ of going somewhere you call for me!" Naruto bit back irritated, before he plopped back down on the chair with a sigh.

"Thanks to all that has happened I really need to distance myself from here for a while."

"When?" Itachi asked taking a sip of his coffee.

"Dunno, maybe tomorrow."

"I assume you wish to take my brother with you."

"I'm planning to. Can you take care of that?" Naruto asked and watched how Itachi laid his chin in his hand.

"Of course, who do you think I am?" The raven answered with authority written all over his voice. "You will come tonight, right?"

"I'll come."

--

"Uuaah…" Naruto moaned, clamping his hand on his mouth when Itachi entered him slowly. The experience was new not only because of the new angle that allowed the raven to thrust even deeper than before, but also because of the slower, and somewhat gentler pace. Something he wasn't used to during his night visits.

"Ugh…" Itachi groaned quietly while slowly thrusting back inside. It was hard to control himself; the urge to just pump into that tight and hot entrance enveloping him like the finest silk was just overpowering his senses. After three more slow motions, Uchiha's thread of self-control snapped and he buried his overly-erected length inside Naruto to the hilt.

"Ah!" The blonde breathed in surprise at the sudden change of pace. He tried to put his arm on the pale shoulder to stop the man from moving like that. He was sure that if it continues, the pleasure will eat away all of his senses. But he couldn't touch the man so easily from the laying position on his side.

"…chi. Itachi!" He called out loud with his hoarse voice.

"Naruto-kun?" The raven asked, blinking a couple of times and stopping his movements.

"Could I… put my arms around your back?" The blonde asked innocently.

"I don't mind." Uchiha answered somewhat softly, which produced a smile on the tanned face. Not pulling out, Itachi moved the boy on his back and lowered his upper half of the body. As soon as it was within reach, the smaller hands crawled from the pale arms, to the neck and finally linked together at the back.

Itachi pulled almost all the way out slowly, before hurriedly thrusting back inside, hitting that special spot inside the blonde.

"…ha…Ah!..." Naruto's moans were enough encouragement for the raven to continue. And he did, brushing against the teen's prostate over and over; bathing in his pleasure-filled voice.

"…sto…ah…ah… AH!" The blonde half screamed this time when Itachi gave a particularly hard thrust; tightening his grip on the man.

"Do you plan to strangle me to death?" Uchiha asked breath away from the tanned face.

"That's because…" Naruto started, digging his nails in the pale flesh, "… you move… like tha-…Ah!" Allured by the view, the raven couldn't stop himself from descending and capturing those sinful lips in a heated kiss; stealing whatever oxygen was left inside the teen's lungs.

"You have to breath slower." Itachi murmured against the pink lips, feeling how Naruto's breathing became regular.

"Yes, just like that." The raven said before stealing another kiss from the boy beneath him. Their tongues played first inside the blonde's and then inside Uchiha's mouth.

"Uh! Ah!" Naruto tore his lips away and with the closed eyes continued to moan over and over; lost in the pleasure and feeling of being so close to release.

"Naruto-kun." Itachi called him, unconsciously increasing his pace even further.

"Nar…" He paused unable to say anything from the lack of oxygen. Trying to regain it, he gave four more irregular thrust and came inside the boy.

"Naruto…" He whispered in the boy's ear just as his hands gave out on him, collapsing on the sweaty body beneath him.

--

"Be sure to come back." Itachi said tiredly from his laying position on the bed. Naruto paused near the door, waved him goodbye and left the bedroom with a smile on his face.

--

The next morning Sasuke and the blonde were ready to leave the village. Standing near the main gate and biding their goodbyes to Sakura, the pair was about to leave, until the young raven spotted someone closing in on them.

"Dobe, look." The ex-Uchiha called, pointing in a certain direction. Naruto blinked and followed his friend's line of vision until his eyes landed on a certain silhouette.

Itachi was walking towards them slowly, with his ever stoic expression, but Uzumaki could've sworn he saw a shadow of a smile on his face.

"You didn't have to go through all that trouble to see us off, you know?"

"It was a good opportunity to take a break." Hokage replied looking straight at the teen. "You should be careful, especially up North." The man added with slightly narrowed eyebrows.

"Is there a place in this country that's not dangerous?" Naruto asked back teasingly.

"I believe I left a bad impression on the people in charge there."

"Hehe, then I'll try not to make any more trouble for you." Uzumaki said with a grin before his face became more serious. "What are you going to do about _that _while I'm gone?" Charcoal eyes looked sideway for a second, before locking back on the tanned face.

"I might try a woman for a change."

"Just try not to get caught up by a strange one. I don't want to have you coming and crying to me."

"Do not worry yourself over it." Itachi replied, though his middle finger twitched once in annoyance.

"No, really…" Naruto started with a softer tone, "… don't get distracted and let someone kill you while you sleep. It would be a problem for me if you die." Itachi blinked, quite surprised, before he gently took the tanned hand and placed a soft kiss on top of its palm.

"Wha-" The blonde shrieked, shocked by the gesture.

"It's a payback for before." The raven said, recalling the time when Naruto kissed him on the cheek.

"Ki-ki-ki-"

"Dobe what are you, a chicken?" Sasuke asked, speaking for the first time since his brother came. Not wanting to wait any longer he grabbed his friend and pulled him behind himself, walking through the gate.

"I'll kill you!" Naruto roared pointing an accusing finger at the oh-so-amused Fifth Hokage.

--

"Dobe, you were weird today. Did something happen?" The ex-Uchiha asked in the evening after they settled down in a small Inn.

"It's nothing." Naruto bit back and turned in his bed, facing the wall. "I'm going to sleep."

_It was the same as yesterday. The hand that he touched feels hot. _He squeezed his right hand and brought it to his chest. _I'm not supposed to be able to feel temperature through thick fabric… so why?_

--

"What the-" Naruto hissed through his gritted teeth. "It's been only three days and you already called me back!!" He roared moving forward until Kage grabbed him under the arms and halted his movements. It didn't stop the blonde from trashing, however.

"We had a little trouble here." Itachi said from behind his desk. "Concerning a certain shinobi." The teen stopped to listen.

"Outside the Western Town, near the Fire temple there's a ninja who used to be a part of Feudal's Lord guard. Unfortunately, unlike us, he's respectable and he obstinately refused Konoha.

"And?"

"He got sick of our attention and decided to flee to another country. We can't allow for his power as well as his knowledge to fall into the hands of someone who may turn those against us."

"That's where we come in?" Naruto asked seeing where this was going.

"We are to seize this man during his escape tonight."

"Wouldn't it be better to try and persuade him?"

"If he wishes to flee our country and go to another then he's going to be charged as a spy and can be confined by our military."

"Tch, a disgusting job." The blonde murmured under his nose.

"Our target is a shinobi strong enough to be forcefully persuaded to join. That is the reason I called you back." Itachi said with superiority showed in every word.

"I get it. So, when are we leaving?"

"Tonight."

--

_A letter?_ Sasuke thought looking at the piece of paper laying on the table. He picked it up and read its content.

"Research mission?" He mused aloud. Feeling like something was missing, the raven squeezed the memo and ran inside the bedroom, ducking his head under the bed. When he saw nothing but empty space his eyes widened.

--

"What do you know? It's raining! Sucks to be you, but be glad I'm here!" Naruto said teasingly, grinning like a maniac, but Itachi shut him up with one glance. Cerulean eyes watched the man go in front to the others while he squeezed his right hand with the left one.

_Since that day… my hand feels hot._ He thought and blinked when he saw Kiba running to them.

"I found the road he's going to take!"

"Road?" The blonde asked surprised.

"Of course. He's a shinobi after all, you idiot." Inuzuka said with a disapproving frown. They moved to the edge of the cliff, overlooking at the cottage down below.

"When does he plan to flee?" Neji asked, looking inside the building with his Byakugan.

"_Lee here. Emergency message."_ Everyone paused and listened to the voice speaking via wireless radio.

"_I secured a suspicious person. He's wearing Kumogakure's hitai-ate."_

"Hokage-sama!" Neji called gaining everyone's attention.

"He really ran to the Lightning Country. Why didn't we have that information?" Itachi asked no one in particular.

"It is possible that they neglected it on purpose. To trouble us." Kage answered, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"To make trouble for us even at such a time!" Uchiha snarled in anger. "Kage, it appears that we will be the ones using that road." The blonde nodded, pulling the white ANBU mask on his face.

"Lee, retreat from there and contact Anko's Squad."

"_Roger."_

"It looks like they won't let us through without a fight, Hokage-sama." Hyuuga said, counting the number of people closing in on them. Itachi snapped his attention to the right the moment he heard a rustling sound. Second later his eyes bled into Mangekyou, releasing the black flames of Amaterasu. Since the weather wasn't to his favor, it was the only fire jutsu able to quickly get rid of the enemies. Neji and Kage were also throwing their weapons at others, trying to make a hole to break through.

"Naruto-kun!" The raven called.

_Don't get surrounded!_ Was what he really wanted to say.

"I know!" The blonde replied, pressing his back to him.

_Think! What kind of jutsu would be good? I must be careful not to move the ground or the cliff will crumble so Earth-type attacks are out of question. My Rasen shuriken is also too powerful._ While Naruto was thinking his strategy, one of the kunais hidden in Hyuuga's blind spot hit the brunette who stumbled at the impact and lost his balance.

"Neji-kun!" Itachi called and run to the man grabbing his hand at the last second. Any longer and the 'Owl' would fall off the cliff. Only then he realized what he has done.

_Oh fuck!_ He thought turning in the direction he ran from.

On the other side, Naruto blinked when the warmth on his back disappeared.

"Eh? No way…" He breathed and turned with a look of absolute disbelieve on his face, only to see the opponent's kunai flying straight at his head. Allowing his instincts to control him, he shielded his face with his hand, forcing the weapon to pierce his palm through and through. In his shock, he forgot the fact that he was right near the edge of the cliff so it was no surprise that, after the impact, he fell down on the hard ground.

"Neji-kun are you all right?" Itachi asked, shielding his eyes with his bangs.

"Yes, but what about Uzumaki?" Hyuuga asked and blinked when he felt how the hand holding him tightened its grip.

_Naruto is…_ Uchiha thought looking down to the side where the blonde lay on the ground not moving. It was vexing for him, to see the teen in that state because of his own mistake. But when he heard a quiet groan, his heart gave a particular hard beat.

--

Naruto slowly got into kneeling position, all the while holding his right arm.

_Shit! Thanks to the fall I injured my shoulder and I can't form any seals!_ The blonde thought and tensed when he looked up only to see three of his opponents with grins on their faces and the sets of kunais and shurikens in their hands. Having no strength to even fully get up, Naruto closed his eyes waiting for the inevitable. He heard a sound of something clashing with something but dared not to open his eyes. He did so, however, when he felt someone hovering above him. And the second he did so, his orbs widened.

"Team Two is securing the shinobi. Don't bother with anything else, retreat!" One of the ANBU called, but to Uzumaki it was nothing but a whisper.

"Sasuke… why?" He asked trying to keep himself in check.

"I followed you. Sakura told me where to find you. Research mission, huh Dobe?" Naruto didn't answer, looking at his best friend with grateful expression.

"The mask under the bed was gone. Tch, did it bother you so much for me to see you in it?"

"… sorry." The blonde replied lowering his head.

_When did I start to rely on Itachi so much? Without questioning it, I trusted him to cover my back. I believed that Sasuke was the only one I could rely on like that. _Naruto thought recalling the chain of events that just happened.

_But that time, without a moment of hesitation, he choose Neji. And I was the only one who didn't know about the true plan of that mission._

"Naruto-kun, are you hurt?" Kage's voice cut through the mist of his musing. Slowly getting up, the teen turned with his back facing the older blonde.

"You know, you told me once that I'm closer to Itachi than anyone else. That he didn't trust you even that far." Uzumaki said and paused after taking four steps. "That's not true, Kage. The reason why he didn't choose you as his partner was because you were too important to him."

_The information only I didn't get. The hand that didn't reach out for me. _

"Using you like a whore is something he can't do. Compared to you I'm… I'm just a dog for him. It doesn't matter if he sleeps with me or not." Kage's eyes widened at that statement and at the sudden flare of slightly violet chakra.

"I… somehow knew it, but…" Naruto said through gritted teeth, "Don't come closer." He whispered and allowed his words to be carried away by the wind.

--

"Lately Naruto didn't show his face here." Kage said placing another set of documents in front of the raven.

"Isn't he still in the hospital. It's only been five days." Itachi answered trying to sound uninterested.

_He's working unusually fast today. That only happens when something bothers him._ Kage thought watching how his friend and superior was filling one document after another.

_Why do I keep remembering his face from that time? _Itachi thought; his hand stopping. _His look from that moment… it's as if it has burned into my eyes. His look as if he had been betrayed by love._ He paused and raised his head.

_Love? _

_There's no way Naruto would… from a relationship that started like that and on top of it with me? That's ridiculous. Is it even possible for someone as proud as him? But no…_

"Kage, call for Naruto-kun. I wish to speak with him in private." The man nodded and, settling the documents on the edge of the desk, he disappeared in a 'poof' of smoke.

_That's impossible. This relationship is based only on common interests…_

--

"What is it?" Naruto asked as soon as the door behind him closed.

"Since that time you've been acting strange." Itachi said, scanning the teen with his eyes. When there was no reply he continued.

"I have a goal and to achieve it I will protect those who help me. I don't care how it looks. Those useless to me will be discarded. Isn't it the same for you?"

"What are you talking about?" The blonde asked, confused by the sudden speech.

"If it was me or Sasuke, who would you take?" The raven asked with the deathly serious expression. Cerulean eyes widened for a fraction, before the teen's face settled on equally serious expression.

"Sasuke." He answered without hesitation. Itachi exhaled quietly and leaned back in his armchair.

"In short, that's how it is. I'm glad we came to an understanding. You may leave now."

--

"What happened? I just met Naruto and he had an extremely scary face." Kiba said, walking inside the office with a file in his hand.

"He only confirmed his place and his goal." Uchiha answered fisting his right hand and squeezing it with the left one.

"Huh?" The brunette breathed not getting a single thing from what he just heard.

_It's alright this way._ Itachi concluded. _Something like a love affair is only a burden for me and for you it would also only be in the way. Then why… do I remember the warmth of his arms around my neck when I think of him?_ He thought, brushing the nape of his neck.

_Why is my skin itching for his touch?_

* * *

So, um... I hope you liked it? Once again I'm really sorry for not updating for so long. I promise I will make it up to you guys somehow. If you have any ideas on how than let me know ;)

Well, hope to see you soon ;)_  
_


	7. Chapter 7

Yo! I brought you the newest chapter! Hope you didn't wait too long for it? ;) (If you were waiting at all, that is :P)

Before you start reading, there are some things to explain as I noticed that **the last chapter seems to confuse you** :P

**So, to make things simple it goes like this:**

**- **Both Itachi and Naruto are really confused with their feelings (just like black55widow wrote ;) )

**-** Itachi choose Neji over Naruto because Neji is a person dedicated to him and following him; hence, Neji is someone important to him- as every person who choose this path.

**-** Naruto didn't knew about the real purpose of the mission, because, as Itachi nicely said, no one informed them. You could say it was kinda to ambush them (Ita & co)

**-** About the whole "Sasuke or Itachi" choosing thing: What Itachi was asking was- 'If you were in the same situation, would you abandon me to go and save Sasuke or would you stick with me' kind of question.

--

That's about all, I guess. If there is still something you don't understand, don't hesitate to ask me!

--

"abc" - talking

_abc_ - thinking

--

Well, without further ado, please enjoy this packed with a lot of feelings and thinking chapter! The first part is told from Naruto's point of view during the situation at the end of the last chapter.

* * *

**Previously on Of love and mistakes:**

"What happened? I just met Naruto and he had an extremely scary face." Kiba said, walking inside the office with a file in his hand.

"He only confirmed his place and his goal." Uchiha answered fisting his right hand and squeezing it with the left one.

"Huh?" The brunette breathed not getting a single thing from what he just heard.

_It's alright this way._ Itachi concluded. _Something like a love affair is only a burden for me and for you it would also only be in the way. Then why… do I remember the warmth of his arms around my neck when I think of him?_ He thought, brushing the nape of his neck.

_Why is my skin itching for his touch?_

* * *

"If it was me or Sasuke, who would you take?"

_In that moment… I remembered when I visited Itachi for the first time. _

_Why did I go there?_

_How did this relationship start?_

_What am I doing here?_

"Sasuke."

_When did I start trusting him enough to cover my back? Because of our relationship I know it. Those who follow him are more important than anyone else to him._

_And we do not belong to them._

"In short, that's how it is. I'm glad we came to an understanding. You may leave now." Itachi's voice cut in through the haze in the blonde's mind.

_So what's wrong? I'm the same. I live only for Sasuke's sake._

--

_After this exchange I watched Naruto's retreating back. It was such a small and fragile back. I'm sorry but I don't have the time for this. It is the same for you, right? You're already bearing more than enough weight on it. If it's too much it's better to give up right away. Don't worry about others and throw away the useless feelings._ Itachi thought emotionlessly before an image of him being embraced by Naruto flashed before his eyes. Slowly he put his hand on the same spot with a slightly pained expression.

--

"What about your meal?" The raven asked closing the door behind his guest.

"Had it before coming here." Uzumaki replied with his back to the man. "Well then, let's start?" the teen asked while tossing his vest and reaching for his fishnet shirt.

"You have not a shred of charm." Itachi replied and in a flash he was behind the teen, stopping his hands from moving. "You're undressing too slow." He whispered in the tanned ear, before pushing the blonde on the bed. Naruto was silent the whole time when Itachi unzipped and pulled down his pants and boxers.

"Ah!" He gasped loudly when Uchiha entered him without as much as a word of warning and preparation.

"Ouch!" Naruto groaned when the pain became unbearable to the point of his eyes pricking with tears.

"You've grown more sensitive." Itachi whispered sliding his lips along the teen's shoulder and down his arm, still maintaining the brutal and rough pace of his thrusting.

_When did I misunderstand this?_ The blonde thought; gripping the sheets under him.

_This is a contract._

_Thinking that there might be something else between us is just…_

_For example… all those little scars on him… due to circumstances I know them well, but I have no idea how he got even one of them. _

Itachi narrowed his eyes when he noticed that Naruto was laying motionlessly and soundlessly on the bed for a while now. Angered by the lack of response he gave a particularly hard thrust straight into the teen's prostate.

"AHH!" Naruto screamed snapping from his thoughts with wide eyes.

"How about some concentration? Isn't it your job here?" Uchiha said with a cold and emotionless voice. The blonde answered him with a chain of 'ah's' and groans.

"Ah_!_" _When did I hear that tone of voice?_

"Ngh…" _Ah, I see. It's the same as the first time._

Itachi turned the teen on his back without pulling out and took off his shirt with his one hand, while the other one was keeping the tanned arms locked in place.

_In the end, nothing changed since the first time. _Naruto thought, turning his head to the side.

"Let go… of my hands." He said in a half whisper. The raven complied, tossing his shirt somewhere on the floor and resuming his thrusting.

_I had a feeling that I grew to understand Itachi better, but… _

_I don't understand him at all._ The blonde thought, slowly crawling his arms on the pale back and pulling the man down to him.

"Ah! Ah!" The teen moaned feeling close to release. His grip on the raven tightened unconsciously from the tension build up in his lower stomach.

_The arms around his back…_

Itachi moved to a half sitting position, lifting Naruto's legs and slamming into him mercilessly with irregular thrusts. Uzumaki squeezed the man's shoulders and shut his eyes closed.

… _do not reach his heart. _

They both came panting heavily.

--

"Well, I'll be going now." Naruto said after zipping up his vest and putting on his cloak.

"You're always in such a hurry. Why don't you take things slow once in a while?" Itachi asked from his sitting position on the bed, dressed in nothing but his open shirt. The blonde paused and bit his lip.

_To make me believe there is something more in this beside the deal…_

"Sorry, but I don't have the time to indulge in pointless inactivity at your house." Naruto answered and with a single wave of his hand he left the room.

… _don't make me misunderstand this relationship… you asshole! _Uzumaki thought angrily, gritting his teeth.

--

"I'm back." The blonde called opening the door to his apartment.

"Hn." Sasuke answered looking up for a second, before returning to his book. Naruto couldn't help but smile at that. No matter how much his best friend tried it, he couldn't hide the relieved expression when he entered the room.

"You're earlier today, Dobe." The ex-Uchiha said after marking the page and closing the book.

"Hmm… well, before I was too tired to move afterwards, but now I guess I'm used to it." Naruto answered grabbing his backpack and going straight to the bedroom.

"Used?" Sasuke asked no one in particular; stiff from shock.

_Sakura, whoever. Something bad happened to the Dobe. If you could punish my idiotic brother…_ The raven thought following after his friend. And the moment he stepped inside the small room, his eyes widened.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked, watching how the blonde was packing random clothes into the bag.

"We're going to Sunagakure to visit Gaara." Naruto replied cheerfully, leaving the bedroom and going for the bathroom to grab the teeth brush and few towels.

"Aren't you tired?" The ex-Uchiha asked not really believing his ears.

"I've decided that today is the lucky day. Let's go and get some fun!" Uzumaki said instead, turning to the other teen with a bright and true smile. Sasuke couldn't stop his face from softening a little.

_This is the Dobe I know._ He thought and 'hn'ed' in approval to the plan.

"But still… we're leaving earlier than the last time." Sasuke said noticing that it was still dark outside.

"Don't worry. I will inform Kage or Sakura-chan on our way. I don't want that bastard to see us off again. Besides…" Naruto paused and a strange flip in the raven's stomach told him that he will hear something bad any second now.

"Besides…?"

"I… didn't exactly ask for the permission to leave with you." The blond answered with a grin while scratching the back of his head.

"Wha-" Sasuke asked dumbstruck, "W-we can't leave. I'm still suspended and you will only get yourself in even more trouble with the Council." At that, Naruto snorted in disgust.

"I don't give a shit about Council or whatever. Besides, it's not like we're escaping from Konoha or something." Seeing that his friend wasn't exactly convinced, Uzumaki came closer to him and patted him affectionately on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Gaara will figure a way out." Sasuke sighed and nodded in answer. Really, what else could he do? There was no way to stop the Dobe once he set his mind on something.

--

They jumped from tree to tree with a speed that only they could muster, for hours. That is until Sasuke gasped a quiet 'oh' and paused.

"What is it?" Naruto asked warily, fearing for enemies or even worse for someone from Konoha. He did send a message to Kage using his summoning and it should reach the man about an hour or so ago.

"Look." Sasuke said pointing his finger straight ahead. Cerulean eyes followed his line of vision, until he saw a huge gap in earth about hundred meters from their position. In addition, after focusing his senses, he heard the sound of running water.

"Oh." Naruto breathed mirroring his friend's reaction. There was only one place in the whole Fire Country that matched this description; The Valley of the End.

"Let's take a break here." The blonde suggested and couldn't help but chuckle at the petrified expression the raven send him.

"But-" Sasuke started, but Naruto cut him off.

"Look, Teme. What was in the past should stay there. Let's take our time to relax. At the speed we're going we would be in Suna by nightfall instead of three days."

"Hn." Sasuke muttered, finding the point to be correct. They sat near the edge of the cliff. While the young raven took out his lunch, the blonde stood, looking down on the flowing water.

_Up until now, my life was a one-way road, like this river, with obstacles on it. I thought it would be enough to move forward, toward the end of that track. I've done some unreasonable things to come this far._ Naruto thought; closing his eyes and facing upward, allowing the soft breeze to envelop him in a comforting embrace.

_The truth is, I didn't realize it, but… in life, there are actually many, many roads, branching off. _

_Many useless, little roads._

_And every time, you have to choose one of them._

_Standing alone on the crossroads… you have to ask yourself:_

_Which one will you take and which one will you throw aside?_

_For me, what I have with Itachi is just a tiny, little road branching off from the main one. But… I have already chosen my path. My goal is to return Sasuke his freedom and become the strongest shinobi, so that I can protect my precious people._ Cerulean eyes opened and a small smile appeared on the tanned face.

_As before, I will ignore all unnecessary roads. I will discard what is between me and Itachi. _

"Dobe, you okay?" Sasuke asked slightly concern, but the question was left unanswered. Naruto grabbed the front of his vest, right where his heart was.

_Why does my chest hurt so much… when I think about it?_

--

"Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked, looking at the letter.

"Yes. The message was delivered ten minutes ago by his summoned animal." Kage said, looking carefully at his friend's face; looking for any kind of reaction.

"He really can't stay put. On top of it, he makes even more trouble for me to deal with." Uchiha said and with a sigh he sat down on his chair.

_A month, is it? Maybe I should invite a woman for a change?_

--

"Dobe, you forgot your lunch." Sasuke called catching up to his friend who was already spread on the warm sand like a lazy cat.

"Ah, thanks." Naruto answered while sitting up. He opened the box, grabbed his chopstick and downed the piece of fish into his mouth.

"It sucks that Gaara is too busy to tag along with us today." The blonde said between bites.

"He is the Kazekage. What else were you expecting, Usuratonkachi?" Sasuke asked with his typical cocky smile; the one that always angered the poor blonde.

_I was hoping he would train with us today._

"There was this jutsu I wanted to try on him." Uzumaki said out loud, gaining his friend's attention.

"Jutsu? What kind of?" Sasuke said intrigue.

"You know, the one from Itachi's book-"

"Something's wrong?" The ex-Uchiha asked noticing the sudden pause.

"Nothing." Naruto answered, not really knowing why he stopped in the middle. With a sigh he took off his vest, leaving himself in nothing, but the dark grey fishnet and black long pants.

"Sasuke! It's been some time, let's fight!" The blonde called, knowing that this kind of invitation was not something his friend would easily pass on. As expected, the young raven turned to his friend with a challenging shine in his eyes.

"Rules?"

"Only taijutsu." Naruto answered and without a warning leaped back when Sasuke charged in as soon as the words left his mouth. The blonde moved forward and jumped, intending to kick the opponent in the ribcage, but Sasuke easily blocked it with his left arm, pushing him away. Naruto landed gracefully on the ground and without a moment of hesitation charged in again, throwing punches at the pale face. Sasuke evaded few of them, before he caught the right and then left hand of his opponent, smirking. The expression was quickly whipped off his face when a foot connected with his jaw, sending him backward on his back.

"Not… bad, Dobe." The ex-Uchiha said slowly standing on his feet. A short distant away from him, Uzumaki smiled, but it quickly changed to a frown when he saw Sasuke's serious expression boring holes in him.

"Naruto… did something happen with Aniki?"

"There's always something with that bastard!" The blonde answered, blocking the punch directed at his face.

"That is true, but…" Sasuke said, while doing the half turn kick, which was easily evaded by the other teen; that moved away, only to meet his opponent's elbow. This, of course, was also easily blocked.

"I wonder… am I a burden to him?" Naruto asked no one in particular. The question, though, made Sasuke stiff for a moment.

"Having to hide your crimes and our deal…"

"He is receiving something in return, right?" The raven half-asked, not expecting an answer. "Also, I believe that 'The Fox' is contributing enough to his career." He added, charging in with a punch. Naruto jumped in the air and landed straight in front of the other teen, grabbing his arm and immobilizing it.

"You know, I'm glad I became shinobi, even though I was treated like a trash in the beginning." Charcoal orbs widened slightly, not expecting a statement like this one.

"There are a lot of good and bad things in this world. What I got out of it is that I understand now what a stupid kid I really was." Naruto said, seeing another punch aimed at his face. Swiftly, he let go of Sasuke's right arm and jumped, using his hands to bounce off of the raven head.

"Hearing it coming from you is pretty surprising, Usuratonkachi." The ex-Uchiha said, shifting his weight on his right foot and kicking back with his left.

"That bastard is an adult… he knows things that I can't understand yet." Uzumaki said, blocking the foot with his arms. "He knows his limits and never let himself lose control. That's how it is." He added, blocking another punch with his hand.

"But I know…" He used his strength to push the opponent away, "… I don't want to become an adult like that bastard!!" They both leapt away from each other, panting.

"Naruto…" Sasuke called in a louder whisper. The boy in question looked at him in surprise.

"Could it be that… you_ love_ my brother?" The blonde paused and looked at his friend dumbfounded.

"Me… Itachi…?" The raven nodded once.

"Haha, there's no way, right? I…I lo…" He clasped a hand to his mouth, while Sasuke closed his eyes with a sigh, expecting similar reaction from the teen.

"I didn't know that loving someone would be so _painful!_" Naruto said, allowing a single tear to escape his eye.

"That's… so typical of you…" Sasuke said, coming closer to him.

"What is?!" The blonde asked angrily.

"The abnormal parts."

"Wha-What the hell!?" Naruto bit back, but his friend only chuckled in answer. There was a moment of silence, disturbed by the sound of blowing wind.

"Will you run away?" Sasuke finally asked.

"Huh?"

"If it's too painful… will you run?" The raven asked again.

"Idiot… I'm okay." Naruto said reassuringly.

"Hn, that's ok then. But you have to tell me when it becomes unbearable. We will run then."

"Wha- Well, whatever." The blonde answered, allowing a small smile to grace his lips.

--

"Ah, I apologize." Itachi said after knocking away the woman's hand.

"'Tachi-kun, you're strange today."

"Am I?"

"In bed… what were you thinking of?" The woman asked standing in front of him.

"You, of course."

"Liar."

_Yes, I'm lying._ Itachi thought to himself. _When I saw her brown hair on the bed I wondered why isn't it blonde? Her voice made me uneasy, because it's not what I'm used to. Even now, when I felt her small and delicate hand on my shoulder I pushed it away without thinking._

"Next time we meet, I wish for more attention." The woman said, before bowing and disappearing in the middle of a crowded street.

_It feels as if that scorching heat on my back has reached the very depth of my heart._ The raven thought looking at his hand.

_That's right… I taught him from the way to kiss, to the timing of raising his voice. I taught him to do it as I like it._ He concluded, returning to his house.

Once inside, he took a quick shower and sat on the edge of his bed, placing two cups on the nightstand.

"What a disgraceful behavior." He muttered, pouring the sake. "The cause of this is traveling under the blue sky." Itachi said, drinking the cup in one go and refilling it.

"Tell me, Shisui. Do you really think that he loves me? After I did this to him?" Another emptied and refilled cup.

"Let's assume it's true. Loving someone is not only funny, right?" He asked, looking at the picture of his friend. "You're lonely, feel betrayed, can't reach the other… there is plenty of painful things, right?" The third cup.

"We don't have the leisure for such a mental burden. W both resemble each other in the basics and he knows that. But…"

_I think I might have been mistaken. I was the one who pushed him away, but…_

"I give up." Itachi said, put the cup down and plopped limply on the bed, shielding his face with his arm.

…_This is the first time that I feel so lonely…_

--

"Yo!" Naruto called, trying to sound cheerfully.

"You're faster than expected." Itachi said with a somewhat gentler voice.

"Yeah, well, didn't want to disturb Gaara's work. You should know what I'm talking about." There was a tension in the corridor. Kage and Sasuke were eyeing each other, while Naruto and Itachi kept looking in other's eyes.

"We should go, Hokage-sama." Kage said and both of them started to walk, before the raven stopped right behind the blonde.

"Ah, yes, are you free tonight?" Naruto did nothing to answer, but Itachi knew that the boy will come to him anyway.

"Can we meet? I want to talk with you." The older blond in ANBU mask whispered to Sasuke while passing him by.

--

"What the hell are you doing?! You've never done this bef… AH!" Naruto cut himself off with a loud and long moan when Itachi took his whole member inside his mouth and sucked on it hard.

"It's over soon." The Uchiha said, while licking the side of the blonde's length.

"Eh?" Uzumaki breathed, not really knowing what the other meant by that.

"But you seem to want to move on fast, so I'll do as you wish." The raven said and spread the tanned legs apart, positioning himself between them.

"!... Itachi?... Wait a…" His words died out when the man plunged himself into him to the hilt. Naruto grimaced at the sudden discomfort, turning his head to the side. Something wasn't quite right here. Especially the raven's strange behavior.

_Itachi…_

"Ah…" The blonde gasped, fisting the sheets in his hands.

_Itachi…_

And, as if the man has heard his thoughts, Uchiha grabbed his tanned face and turned it to him, placing soft kisses along his jaw and neck.

--

"What do you want in the middle of the night?" Sasuke asked, looking at the man before him.

"I wish to speak with you about Naruto-kun." Kage said in a serious tone. "Lately, Itachi-san has been working a lot."

"Isn't that a good thing?" The raven asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He only works a lot when he's troubled by something. I think he's worried about Naruto-kun." The man said and not receiving an answer, decided to continue.

"I know the situation you are in, but… I want you to stop relaying on him. His position is more difficult than you think and his surroundings are more dangerous than before."

"He was the one who proposed it." Sasuke said, getting the idea where this conversation was going.

"I know that. But if he can't reach his goal because of you, then… even though he knows that, he continues to help you. In a way, he is betraying us, people who gave their lives to follow him as the leader of this village." Kage said, clenching and unclenching his hand.

"Why are you telling me this?" Sasuke asked, trying to sound indifferent.

"I can't tell Naruto-kun when he's going so far for his goal…"

"Even though you knew about them?"

"Sorry for being a selfish adult." Kage said and turned his back to the retreating teen. "Sasuke-kun..." The raven stopped to listen. "If you become an obstacle, I will destroy you. I can do it." And with that, they parted their ways.

--

"The next time will be the last." Itachi said from his sitting position under the sheets.

"Eh?" Naruto breathed turning around to face the man.

"There isn't anything more for you to pay for. The last obstacle is Danzou, but with the support of the whole Council, his single voice of protest is nothing to worry about. So the next time you come it's over and there's no need for you to come here anymore." Itachi said, turning his head the other way, to not face the boy.

"Is that so? I'm relieved." Naruto said, sitting up. "Well then, I guess I will have to return the book I borrowed." He continued while slipping his shirt on.

"Book?" The raven asked, eyeing him.

"So you didn't notice? Well, I did take it without permission." The blonde said, reaching under the bed for his pants.

"Was it useful?"

"Yeah, you could say that." Naruto answered pulling and zipping up the last piece of his clothing.

"Oh, by the way. Those scars on your body, could you tell me how you got them?" He asked while putting on his shoes.

"You don't need to know." Itachi answered, still sitting on the bed with his eyes shielded by his bangs.

"Ah, that's right." Naruto answered as if it was no big deal and grabbed his vest.

"See ya." He said and left not looking back even once.

--

"Too bad, it's closed." Sasuke said, looking at the sign _'Closed'_ hanging on the doorknob.

"I have no luck today. And I was looking forward to eating here today." Naruto sighed in disappointment before the two of them walked away in the direction of his apartment. On their way, they stopped at the small bridge.

"Dobe, did something happen with Aniki?"

"You're asking only about that lately." The blonde answered with a frown. "But well, you could say that something did happen." He added, putting his arms on the railing and laying his head on them.

"I remind you about my offer of running away." Sasuke said also looking at the small stream of water below.

"We can't. We need to free you from every charge."

"I don't care." The raven answered truthfully. "If I have to watch you in pain I'd rather go to jail." Cerulean eyes widened and looked at the person standing next to him.

"What? There's no way I would…"

"No, Dobe. You will listen to me this time." Sasuke said, tightening his grip on the railing. "Do you have any idea how I feel when you go my brother? Do you know how painful it is when you're telling me you're doing it for me? You acted as if you were fine so I did the same. Do you have any idea how hard it was? Who do you think I am?!" The blonde gaped with wide mouth, not even trying to hide the shock at what he heard.

"I love you, Naruto. You are my most important bond, so why can't you understand? Since you were so hell bent on it I didn't say anything, but I always wanted to tell you… don't go to my brother!" Uzumaki opened his mouth to say something but Sasuke cut him off.

"It's strange, Dobe. Since I became a prisoner you seem to think that I'm unhappy, but… I've never, even once, considered myself as such. More than the thought of prison, watching you struggle is what vixens me. I do want to get my freedom back, but there is no need to rush it."

"Sasuke…"

"If we flee the Konoha and start our own journey… it may take longer and of course there will be plenty of troubles, but… if we can reach the same place I don't think I would mind that. There is more than one way, Naruto." Sasuke said, looking at his best friend and brother with sincerity one could only dream of seeing.

_After that… when I saw his trembling shoulders I felt like the worst kind of person. Because I knew I was the one who made him cry, it made me unable to comfort him. And it was the worst feeling ever._ Sasuke thought when both of them walked back to their home.

--

"Ah, Hokage-sama! I received it this morning from Naruto near the gate, but…" Sakura said, giving her superior the package.

"From Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked, took it and opened. The old looking book slipped from inside.

"Ah, I see. He did say something about a book." Turning it even more, something else slipped from it and landed on the floor with a quiet 'click'. Charcoal orbs widened when they saw a piece of the ANBU mask he gave the blonde and the small scroll.

"Inside is the letter designating him as a shinobi of Konoha." Kage said, being the first to grab the item.

"Really? Does that mean…" Sakura uttered through her constricted throat, "…he's quit on being a ninja?"

"Itachi-san!" Kage called looking at his paler than usual friend.

_I wonder why?_ Itachi though numbly. _Even though I did all these things to him…_

_I never imagined he could betray me like this… _

* * *

So... I hope you liked the chapter? For your information, the next one will probably be the last chapter ;( That is, if I won't be too lazy to write a small omake :P

Anyway, hope to see you soon! ;)_  
_


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